


And History Repeats Itself

by EmbryonicHarmonic



Category: Code Geass, Gundam 00
Genre: Consequences Of Your Actions, Crossover, Foolishness, Geass 00, Gen, Instances of NSFW, M/M, Mind Manipulation, Poor Life Choices, Violence, canon gets destroyed, pain and sin
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-05
Updated: 2019-03-04
Packaged: 2019-07-25 09:43:41
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 26
Words: 31,047
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16194977
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmbryonicHarmonic/pseuds/EmbryonicHarmonic
Summary: The Innovator has been awoken into the world. Setsuna blends in for only so long until circumstances force him to reveal himself. He can see it, the same mistakes that humanity is making. The world marches on, and it will march over him.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> I haven't written long, multi-chaptered stuff in a long time. I hope everyone looks forwards to this, because I am enjoying writing it <3

The thunder roared.

The stars went out.

And machines came from the sky. 

Setsuna had done everything in his power, and some things not in his power, to prevent it. Held back the tides, held back the falling skies. He had fought and bled until it had become painfully clear that they had lost. Humanity had struck out to the stars and lost. He couldn’t pretend any longer. The plan had been a last resort, and only Tieria survived now to keep it in motion. The Gundams, all of the ones he had managed to gather, had been hidden, and the bunker had been carefully concealed. 

Humanity was going to burn, die, and be remade, and he could do nothing to stop it. 

“It’s time.”

Setsuna stepped out of the bunker, looking at the hidden doors as they slid shut. They would not open for anyone but himself. Tieria had already made the arrangement, they would leave this place and never return. 

He turned away, looking at the reddening skies with dread, and with the flick of his wrist, a great blade from an ELS formation grew from his arm. He was going to fight, and he was going to burn, and he would bleed for the rest of humanity, to do everything he could to just give them more time. One more day. One more breath, one more--

There was a prick in his neck, and he sucked in a sharp breath. 

“I can’t let you die, Setsuna. Humanity is going to need you in the future.”

Tieria’s voice was already growing distant, his vision fading in and out. The Innovade dragged him back inside, down into the depths. Past the hangar. Past the quiet machines. 

Setsuna’s foggy vision could barely make out the other’s form as he was hoisted into a container. 

“I’m sorry, Setsuna. There is no other way.”

He heard the hissing of air, and Setsuna fell into a deep, unending sleep.


	2. A Wakening of the Innovator

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The cycle has finished, and Setsuna awakens into a new, strange world that he is wholly alone in.

INITIATING WAKING CYCLE. 

CORE TEMPERATURE…...STABLE

INTERNAL TEMPERATURE…...RISING

ALL VITALS NORMAL. 

WAKING IN 3…

2....

1….

His eyes opened. 

The room was dark, lit only by one computer screen. Setsuna felt groggy, the cryo pod still wearing on him as he braced his arms on the edges and pulled himself up. It lasted only a few seconds before he fell over the edge and hit the floor face-first. And he didn’t move for several long minutes. The Innovator just lay in the dark, breathing heavily and trying to get his bearings while the rest of his body seemed to wake up. He wasn’t entirely sure how long he had been asleep, but the darkness of the room and the lack of machinery he could hear was probably a sign. The entire facility was probably on back-up power. 

Finally, Setsuna pushed himself up, and managed to crawl over to the console. He used it to pull himself upright, even though everything wobbled and he needed to brace himself to just stay upright. Back-up power, that probably meant he wouldn’t know how long it had been. Maybe Tiera was around. He flicked a few switches, starting up the recharging cycle to pump more power into the facility. 

“Tieria?” 

He pushed the button on the console, hearing his voice ring through the hangar and halls. 

There was no answer. 

Setsuna tried again and again, and finally pulled himself to the door as soon as the lights came on. He needed water. Sunlight. Food. Fresh air. He barely had the strength to stand, leaning on the walls as the door slid open and he stumbled into the hallway. He called out for Tieria again, and only silence answered him as he staggered and crawled into the main hangar. The silence was astounding. 

No one answered. 

The mobile suits - the Gundams - all stood silent. And he counted them. Everyone present and accounted for. But no sign of Tieria. No trace of him. With how the air had settled and how stale and sick it tasted, Setsuna was starting to hope that he had left and found somewhere else. Found a safe place. It took more effort than he thought he had in him to reach the stairs, to push himself up. He crawled, every step of the way, to find the door, and the datapad leaning next to it. 

Slumping against the wall, the light filled the little entryway.

And a familiar voice answered him. 

“Setsuna. If you’re hearing this, then everything went as it was supposed to. I had to put you to sleep for a long, long time. By now, humanity should have rebuilt to a level that is safe for you, but they won’t remember who you are. No one will. There won’t be any surviving records of you, of the calamity, of any of us…”

Setsuna felt his insides twist. 

“And to keep it that way… I’m leaving. I’ll be long-dead by the time you wake up. I know this, it’s all part of the plan. I have to help them rebuild, even a little bit, and do everything possible. Move humanity long by a few hundred years or so. Let them cheat a bit instead of setting them back to square one. For what it’s worth, I’m sorry for what I did, but it was for the best.”

No…

“I’ve left… they’re stupid, but I left videos in the central hub. Of everyone, before this. Back from Veda’s archives, so you’ll have something good to look back on. All of us, I guess we’re living on with you now.”

No. No no no, this wasn’t happening--

“Help them, Setsuna. Guide them, to peace through understanding.”

The log ended, and Setsuna felt hot tears leak out of his eyes. The one person he knew, the last person he knew, was gone. He pressed the datapad to his chest, and broke down into ugly, hysterical sobbing. Everyone was gone. Completely and unquestionably gone. Even if he didn’t know how long it had been, not for sure, he knew in the very depths of his mind that he was alone. Well and truly alone, with no one out there for him. Like a child, like a broken man, Setsuna sobbed until his strength was gone, until his throat rebelled, and he could do nothing more than sit in the dark. 

It was hours before he drew the strength again to move. 

The datapad had been set aside, so it would greet him when he returned - if he returned. Setsuna dragged himself to his feet, and pulled on the door. The metal creaked and groaned before giving, and he was blinded by the midday sun. He staggered out onto the overgrown path, the door closing behind him with a click. He just collapsed, lying under the first brightness and warmth he had felt in… well, he wasn’t sure how long it had been. How long he had been asleep, and how long he had been away from the world. 

He barely heard any hum of machinery, there was no distant voice to anchor on to. Maybe he was gone much longer than he thought, and he would have to follow, to find where he was now and when he was now. 

But that had to wait. 

The shine slowly returned to his silver skin as he lay on the grass and dirt, soaking up the sunlight. It was as if he was starved for warmth, for any sort of nourishment and energy. The ELS conversion had made his survival much easier, overall, and even now as he was sprawled out under the light, he felt his strength returning. Bit by bit, he was returning to himself. He stayed there, lying in that spot unmoving with his eyes closed, until the shadows of sunset fell upon him. 

Setsuna pushed himself up, then stood. The oranges and reds of the sunset made his silver skin look coppery, and it took little effort for him to sail right into the air. He climbed high above the trees, to where the sunlight still shone upon him. He was as he was meant to be, this radiant being, attuned to the world in a way that he could never really put into words, and in a way that he felt so completely alien to his own home. But still he bathed in the light, absorbing it all until finally the sun sank below the horizon completely, and the cool, still night fell upon him and the landscape around him. 

That was when he noticed the emptiness in the sky. 

The ELS ship, the flower that had hung beside the moon, was gone. 

Setsuna reached out, throwing his voice across the night and into the stars, but there was no response. Nothing on the same otherwordly frequency that he understood answered him back. 

The gravity hit him fully then and there. He was alone. He was truly alone. No Meisters - even if their graves were still there, surely they had been erased by time. No one remembered them. No ELS voices for him to speak to. Tieria had been very right, no one would know him. No one would ever know who he had been, and no one had…

Setsuna blinked out of the sky, reappearing back in the hangar. The air was circulating again, the lights were on. He landed on the Exia’s chest armor, pressing his hands to the metal and shuddering. 

_Please…. Please tell me you’re still here._ He begged. Pleaded with the one thing that had been with him. The Gundams, machines that no one believed were alive in a way that he knew, they had to still be there. She had to be in there still.

The machine was silent, and time ticked away. 

_Please still be here. Please be here. I can’t do this alone._

The machinery creaked. And a deep groan came from the Exia. It echoed through the hangar, and the eyes of his first machine, his one and only partner, lit up. She was still there. She was there. In there with him. A second groan, from the 00. Then the Quan[T]. That was enough. Three voices, all reaching out to reassure him. They were here. The Raphael would respond in her own time. And the beast that was locked behind the wall… he hoped she never woke up. It was enough, now, to just know he was not alone. 

He reappeared in the sky, illuminated by starlight and moonlight. 

Tieria hadn’t mentioned the witch, but there was nothing in the hangar to suggest that she hadn’t survived. Setsuna couldn’t feel any presence of her anywhere, but he wondered if he was just too far away. He was already running through what he had to do now. Humanity didn’t know he existed, or so he could assume from the faint sounds of machinery - cars, mostly - that he could hear. He was not some god. He would not appear before them in a burst of holy light. There were other options. 

Setsuna flew across the sky, moving as far from the hangar as possible. He passed the first city. Then the second. Third. He had to move as far as he could so no one could try to trace him back to the hidden machines. This world was definitely not ready for them, as he was picking up from what little broadcasts he was hearing. It wasn’t as though he knew much, picking up bits and pieces was not really a great way to learn how the world was working. 

He found a place, finally. Dropping down into an alleyway in a bustling metropolis, Setsuna leaned against the concrete wall, and closed his eyes. Finding a hotel was easy. Inserting a name into the system, a suite fully paid for, food ordered and on its way, all simple and definitely poor uses of his powers. But these machines were young, eager to speak to him. Eager to learn, and he was eager to respond. Floorplan, room location, it didn’t take long for him to teleport into the suite he had booked, and take a chance to look at himself. 

Slim and silver. 

He needed to change.

Setsuna took a deep breath, and slowly black spread out from his roots, and his desert skin tone faded over the metallic look of his skin. It had been something he had not done in…. Thousands of years now. But by the time there was a knock at the door for his room service, he looked like a completely normal human being -- except for his eyes. 

It wasn’t a huge issue, not right now. Setsuna had food, and as much as he didn’t need it, he suddenly was ravenous. With a flick of his hand the TV turned on, the news there to fill him in on further details of the world and when he lived in while he just inhaled everything before him. He really needed it, and he didn’t even realize it until the smell of proper steak hit him. He needed to just… recover and rest. 

“The Britannian Empire…”

The words felt so foreign on his lips. Empires. This was so clearly the United States, or it had been once. He had only been there after the ELS conversion, and had picked a remote area for the hangar. His first thought had been to hide them in Krugis, but it was the first place that would be searched. Tieria had pushed for it. The witch had seconded it. And here he was, in a hotel room, eating like when he had first been pulled onto the Ptolemy (in that everything was gone as soon as he laid eyes on it), the last relic of a dying star. Of Earth that was. 

Setsuna set the stack of empty plates back on the cart, and set it out in the hall so he was free of it. The door locked, and he was alone with his thoughts. He wandered into the bathroom, turning on the shower so he could soak up as much as he could. Food, water, sunlight. He had two of the three, and he was not going to trust that he wasn’t being watched right now. Clothes were removed, in the sense that he simply morphed his body. He was an ELS, he had no real need to do anything but shape and morph his appearance. The lights were turned low, and he stepped under the spray.

Water soaked through his skin, absorbed like a plant, or some weird sponge. He exhaled, feeling life continuing to just return to him. To be alive again after what he determined was tens of thousands of years alone and asleep deep underground… he finally was feeling like he could breathe. Finally feel like he could learn to just be part of this world. They’d be ready for him one day. 

After four hours soaking up water, Setsuna settled under the blankets in the softest bed he had ever slept in and fell asleep listening to the voices of the machines.


	3. Old Habits Never Die

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Twelve days into the real world, and Setsuna was aware that there was something wrong.

Twelve days

Twelve days into the real world, and Setsuna was aware that there was something wrong. 

Well, wrong was subjective, but he had seen enough horrors in his extremely long lifetime to realize how utterly terrible things were. He spent a lot of time in cafes, just drinking various teas and latching on to whichever struggling college student was nearby. The archives were scoured. There were thousands of years of history learned, and still being learned. He was spending enough time pretending to be a normal person, but he was not an idiot. He knew the signs of a nightmare regime, and despite how he had read word of mobile suits, he had yet to see them. 

There was something so off about the information that he was gathering and reading. Propaganda was a powerful thing, and part of him realized that he wasn’t at his full power, if he couldn’t reach global networks. There was a sickening feeling in him that he couldn’t put his finger on. 

But he just sat, drinking his coffee and adjusting his sunglasses to ensure that his secret was not revealed. Always cover the eyes, always make sure people can’t see. He needed to keep the fact that his eyes glowed and he always looked like some otherworldly creature a secret. At least he retained his human facade. 

Even with what came with it. 

Britannian people, he was rapidly discovering, were collectively terrible. 

Setsuna’s few encounters with single people had been fine, but he had been threatened in at least two stores, followed around another to make sure he wasn’t stealing, and been denied service once. It was no longer hurtful, he had endured much worse when he was human. No one was throwing rocks at him or calling him a monster. No one was blaming wars on him. Just being threatened was fine. He could handle threats. And he could handle people being… well, people. It just seemed that the selfishness and tribalism was being promoted - encouraged, even. 

It was still a learning process, learning about the Emperor, about the knights at his beck and call, and the grip that was held upon the world. Setsuna didn’t like it, but he had to take care of himself first and foremost. Even now, as he was watching the world move around him, he felt a deep sense of dread starting to build. The largest adjustment, however, had been just learning to adjust that there was no Krugis. No one knew what Krugis was, or Azadastan. It was _Kurdistan_ in this new age. The word never felt natural on his tongue. He didn’t have to like it, but he had to adjust. He did not need people just being suspicious of his origins more than they generally already were. 

So he sat, and sipped his tea. 

It had been slow, just watching people go by, until he heard the shriek. It came from the machines seconds before he saw it. A bus lost control, and ran into the shop across the street. Setsuna was on his feet and outside, the paper cup forgotten about as smoke hit his nostrils. He shouted for people to get back before something - the fuel line maybe - exploded. The heat hit him like a wall, but that had never stopped him. 

He heard people yelling. He heard them. 

And he ran forwards towards the growing flame. Five people. One seriously injured. The thought of people learning his identity was forgotten completely as he vanished into the smoke. He couldn’t force his way through the broken doors, not on his own. The people wouldn’t notice, they probably wouldn’t see him…

With a flick, Setsuna formed an ELS blade from his hand, and cut through the metal without any resistance. He pulled the cut piece away, immediately urging people out, to keep their heads down and move. Away from the flames, out to safety. 

Then he went inside the ruined bus. The flames were growing hotter, and after he’d reformed his hand he worked on the injured driver. Setsuna wasn’t a medic, but he had done enough field work to at least assess the situation. He wasn’t going to have a chance to get this stranger out through normal means. And he was not going to just let someone die. Setsuna was many things, but he was not a beast. Not right now. Besides, he had left too many people behind to just let this continue. 

Dragging the wounded driver up into his arms, he vanished. 

Outside, before the crowd, a silver being with a red scarf reappeared with the driver in his arms. He carried this person to the approaching ambulance, handing them off to the EMTs before disappearing again .

Cellphones caught blurry, somewhat shaky footage of this miraculous event. 

It was on the news that evening, and Setsuna listened as he was soaking up water and trying to wash the smell of smoke off of him. A silver savior in a red scarf. The more cautious side of him knew this made things more complicated. He needed to be more careful. He had to make sure he wasn’t so overt the next time this happened. If there was a next time. 

Six days later, there was a next time. 

Two days after that, there was a third time. 

Setsuna’s hands pressed into the tile of the shower as water poured over him. His limbs were trembling, shuddering while he took heavy breaths. Three separate incidents. He was already reading it, as fast as the Britannian propaganda machine was working to divert attention to other problems, there were people who had seen him. People talking about the silver man with the red scarf. 

He had to leave. He had to just get out. Find another city. Find somewhere else to lay low. 

_Maybe if you weren’t so eager to protect people…_

He had to shut his own thoughts out. He couldn’t stand by and watch people get hurt. Or to do nothing once they were. It was who he had become. Maybe when he was human he wouldn’t have stopped, not until Neil had--

“Stop it. Stop it. Shut up just…” He muttered to himself, turning the water on hotter. He couldn’t let himself get drawn into that sort of despair anymore. He couldn’t let himself become so twisted. Not like that. 

Helping people was okay. 

But he couldn’t stay here anymore. He would have to leave. Another three hours under the water, when he finally felt invigorated and recharged, he finally left. Lights off. Checked out. Setsuna vanished into the air, and even amidst the lights of the city, locals reported a shooting star that night. A silver streak across the cold night. 

The Britannian Empire was vast, sprawling and powerful. Setsuna traveled under the sunlit sky for two days before he repeated himself. Another city, a mysterious VIP guest, and plenty of space to recover. It was easy enough to just keep finding things to do, to learn, to just consume as much history - censored and carefully curated as it was - as he could. He had to learn. And it took another day of digging to actually discover anything concerning these mobile suits that were supposedly a thing.

Knightmare Frames, they were called. 

Setsuna couldn’t say he liked the term, but he would adjust. And he was never going to bring the Exia near one, she’d probably laugh. And he nearly did the first time he read through a set of schematics and measurements. They were so small in comparison to a Gundam. Barely capable of the things he was used to, but considering the world was learning, and had reset completely, he couldn’t really fault them. But they were just… so small. It was a constant problem he needed to deal with, in that he had to stop feeling the need to laugh whenever he saw them. 

The city he had settled in, however, had a few that seemed to move around, and it was much easier for him to observe them when they moved. His mind connected to them extremely easily, but he didn’t really think that these people could ever plan for someone like him. Even in his own time, there weren’t really safeguards against him. The Knightmares, even the standard machines, were simple. Their voices were young and they had never heard someone like him before. He could talk to them, they could be heard. And he could ask, they would provide. 

But he couldn’t stop them. 

And he couldn’t stop himself. 

There was a scream in his head, his fourth night in the new city, and his eyes snapped open. He appeared above the city, scanning around and looking for who it was, and it didn’t take him long to follow the sounds of gunfire and the exploding building. Setsuna flew right for it. Let people see, he didn’t care. The silver on his skin emerged, and he couldn’t stop the fighting. Whatever was happening, he couldn’t get involved. He couldn’t.

But he could pull people free from whatever collapsing building and twisted rubble was produced by this catastrophe. 

When Setsuna fled the city, word was spreading about a silver being with a red scarf who was pulling people out of danger. They were taking photos. Buying red scarves themselves. Setsuna could read it all on hidden message boards and behind the screened posts that the Empire was trying to censor. He felt his stomach twist. Whatever people thought he was, they were starting to post their wishes, their hopes, their requests for this mysterious savior to find them. He couldn’t filter them out, everything just was thrown into the world. They were looking out at the sky for him and screaming for help.

They were starting to worship him. 

Days were passing into weeks. Setsuna couldn’t stay in cities, and even moving into smaller towns was slowly growing worse and worse. He had to keep moving, on and on, until he was in possibly the worst place for him to be. Or the best.

Setsuna stood on a rooftop, staring out at the heart of the Empire. The hum of the machines and the sounds of so many voices filled his head. He was right under the Emperor’s nose, and he needed to stay as far out of sight as he could be. 

Unbeknownst to him, this cultish worship of “the silver angel” was growing, and Emperor Charles zi Britannia had taken notice.


	4. First Contact

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Setsuna finally reveals himself, and receives a formal invitation to the Imperial Palace.

It had become much harder for him to stay hidden. 

Setsuna could barely move through the streets without someone asking him why he wore a red scarf. And even after he changed its color, the questions did not stop. He could only alter his features so much, in that he was still a conspicuously Kurdish man in a distinctly not-Kurdish country. And responses ranged from glee, to popularity, to stones being thrown and insults hurled at him from across the street. No matter, it was nothing he had never dealt with before. 

He stood in a corner bodega, glancing up at the TV now and then as it ran the news while he browsed around for food he did not need, anything to just hide from the world even for a moment. It was enough, to just not be involved. To be quiet. 

“...The Emperor has extended an official invitation to what the masses have dubbed ‘The Silver Angel’, to come speak with him personally.”

Setsuna’s blood ran cold. 

He made sure that no one could see him when he vanished, reappearing atop a building so he could listen properly to the world. There may have been a kind, and impressive news report, but that meant that this regime knew him, and there had been only so much in the blurry videos and photos that would lead them to him. The Innovator’s first instinct was to run. To get out. But the Empire knew of him now, and knew that he would have nowhere to run. Even if he just ran into space, into the stars, he had a feeling that he would not be allowed peace. He had to take care of humanity, he had to be there, to guide them. 

He considered trying to run still. To just evade this invitation as much as he could. But there was some burning part of him that knew that this was not the answer. 

Well, if he was going to actually meet the Emperor, he needed to look the part. 

Setsuna found a terminal, and sent a single message. 

[I’m here.] 

Just a message, and an address. He waited, just looking like a normal person. There was nothing to hide, and despite how he felt, he needed to stand on solid ground. He needed to know exactly what sort of beast he was dealing with. It was better than Ribbons, or so he hoped. Maybe he would be able to do something good, to do something that would make this world change. What was he going to do? 

The hum of the machines heralded an entire military escort.

That seemed like a bit much.

Setsuna stared, watching the crowd move and part around him as no less than four of these Knightmare Frames and a visibly out of place limo among them came to him. He had not been anxious until that moment. Military parades were not his thing. He had avoided them whenever possible. But the crowd stared at him as the parade stopped for this Kurdish man in a red scarf. The door was opened, and he felt the anxiety mounting. 

“The Emperor is waiting for you, sir. Please come with us.”

A footman opened the door, and against his better judgment, Setsuna settled inside. 

Whoever this Emperor was, Setsuna would find out very soon.


	5. Royalty and Divinity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> No gods. No divine beings. Only humanity.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A special thanks to Pulseofthestars on tumblr for helping me write Charles.

Whoever this Emperor was, he was putting on a show. 

Setsuna couldn’t help but notice how overt it was. The escort pulled up to the steps of what he had learned was the Pendragon Imperial Palace. There was a red carpet, armed guards in their full regalia, all leading to what he knew would be right to this Emperor’s throne. There were cameras, there was a crowd. This had been thrown together remarkably quickly, and Setsuna could put on as best of an impression as he could. The public had started seeing him as something divine - which he hated completely - and he would have to tell them one day. 

Right now, he could let them believe he was going to have a nice chat. Smile and wave once, and then he vanished beyond the gates. He was not confident that this would go well, and he wanted so badly to just hear Marina tell him it would be okay. He could do this, but he was no politician. 

Whatever he was expecting, it wasn’t this. 

A man on his throne, with a knight at his side. Setsuna felt his stomach drop as the doors closed behind him, and he was alone. Cut off from the world for the moment. He could hear the humming and voices of machines and security, but there was nothing for him to latch on to, not right now. 

His footsteps seemed louder, seeming to echo through the grand hall until he came to a stop. He would not kneel, and he would not bow. There was an almost instant understanding of such, no one tried to make him move. 

The silence hung over them for what seemed like forever, but Setsuna was sure it was only for a few seconds. 

“I have seen many cults claiming to worship varying gods, but in all my years, this is the first time that one was truly otherworldly.” The Emperor spoke, and something stirred in Setsuna. A primal, flight or fight feeling. He bit it down, for now. 

No backing out now. 

“It was not my intention.” Setsuna maintained his facade. He had no more need to hide his eyes, but the rest of him looked scarily normal. Not that he thought that the Emperor and his Knight bought it, they had clearly seen enough to not be fooled. He was not a human being, not anymore. He had been, once upon a time, but not now. Now he was some otherwordly creature standing in a court of humans, in a world that forgot his name. 

But Setsuna went on, attempting to be as diplomatic as he could. “My only intention has been to guide humanity, as I once did eons ago. The records have been lost for a long time, and the last thing I ever wanted was this sort of worship.”

The man and his one-eyed knight glanced at each other, a thousand words exchanged in a single look, and it made Setsuna’s insides twist. He wanted to run. He wanted to get out. This was worse than Ribbons. Worse than staring down monsters in the depths of space. He was just a single man, staring down beasts. Refined, clever monsters who were just people. Whatever was about to happen, he was already feeling the need to run as far and as fast as he could. There was something about the Emperor that made him feel distress. 

“One must wonder then, why you even bother hiding, if you are going to just throw caution to the wind to do such simple, yet impossible, tasks.” 

Like running into fires and coming out unscathed. 

Setsuna steeled himself, and released himself. The silver flowed across his skin, across his entire being as he ceased pretending to be human. He stopped attempting, stopped trying to look human, and as the metallic shine rolled over him, it was clear that if he was been human once, that time was long passed. His feet left the floor, and this radiant, shining silver creature shaped like a man floated just a few inches from the carpet as if he were some divine creature. It was clear how the masses had been seduced by the idea of some sort of angel rescuing them in their darkest hours. 

The Emperor once more glanced to his knight, the two of them speaking their unsaid words for much longer this time, leaving Setsuna to watch carefully. There was nothing good to come from them, nothing good to break them apart. He was already considering his escape options. 

When finally they faced him again, he felt his chest tighten. 

“You claim your purpose is to guide humanity, presumably to whatever sort of future you have already decided for us.” The Emperor said, and Setsuna felt his pulse quicken. “You, some inhuman sort of being, appearing in a flash of light to ‘guide’ us. And you have claimed to not want to be worshiped, but you expect us to fall in line with what you desire us to be.” 

Oh no. 

“Peace through understanding, that’s all I’ve ever strived for. I’m not trying to railroad humanity into some ideal. I just want to end the fighting.” His feet hit the floor again, and he took a step forwards. “You’ve encouraged inequality, violence, superiority under the guise of competition to better humanity, how could I not take issue with something like that?” 

His voice was even for the moment, but he was starting to feel anger sparking in him. What was worse, the Emperor did not seem to be bothered by the accusations. Or amused. Or… anything. There was no change in his hardened expression. 

“You have admitted you are no god, but you already wish to interfere in human affairs. Do you expect humanity to bow before you and follow your lead blindly? Commanding total obedience, to forget human nature, and just follow your light.” Digging. Worse and worse. “Sounds like you cannot even be honest with what you are, some demigod pretending to be our savior.”

“I am nothing of the sort!”

The lights around them flickered as Setsuna’s anger flared. Unbeknownst to him, it was all according to plan. 

“I just want to help humanity, to make them understand that this violence you’ve encouraged is not the answer!” Setsuna was not an overly brilliant man. He couldn’t see what was being done, the bait was worded properly. The Emperor was under his skin, raking claws over his nerves and saying the right thing to make him angry. To make him make mistakes. The Innovator had not been challenged in such a way in thousands of years. 

And Setsuna had been manipulated for so much of his human life. 

The Emperor just snorted to himself, a dismissive gesture that only riled Setsuna more. Every action was deliberate. Every motion was calculated and planned to make this shiny creature show his true colors, and here they were. A violent, spoiled man who had the world in his hand once, but now reduced to this lost, angry beast. And there was no room in the plan for wild, unchecked beasts. The Innovator would have to be tamed or put down, and the Emperor did not particularly care which option was chosen. 

Charles zi Britannia glared down towards the other, his purple eyes gleaming with his will and utter intensity. "You have prattled on as if you are some sort of savior to this world. And yet your existence has proven that until my time that the best mankind could do was hit a reset button. To turn back and try again in an endless loop!" His voice boomed as he rose from his throne. Indeed while he wasn't all that impressive realistically with his intensity he seemed a colossus.

Setsuna's initial stunned reaction bled into one of indignation and anger as the other continued to speak. With each word he thought back to others, to Alejandro Corner who had tried to take control of the plan left behind by Aeolia Schenburg, to Ribbons Almark the Innovade who intended to rule mankind and viewed himself akin to divinity.

"The only path to the end of the lies and betrayals, to the end of war and this cycle is the Ragnarok Connection, with the might of Britannia I will continue to move onwards over as many corpses and shattered nations as it takes until the time is right and the requirements are met! For when this is achieved things such as life and death, nationality and race, none shall matter! And if you must be crushed and turned into another footnote in history...." Setsuna's anger was reaching its breaking point and hit it full force with the Emperor's callous disregard of human life and of humanity itself. "Then so be it."

At these last words in the time it would take to blink a shadow fell upon the Emperor. A glint of silver passing by his face and piercing into his throne, a thin line of crimson appearing on the Emperor's cheek. Despite the continued stone faced expression on the face of Charles zi Britannia there was a very evident glimpse of mortality in that moment. The 98th Emperor of Britannia had seemed untouchable, such was the might of the armies of Britannia but this seemingly untouchable symbol of Britannia now had a mark that showed that no longer the case. However as Setsuna pulled back for follow up strike there was a cold chuckle as the Emperor took the time to glance at the slowly descending trail of blood from the cut.

"All of that, for a few drops of blood." And with that a harsh reminder was given to Setsuna. The Knight of One was far closer to His Majesty than he had remembered.

He was struck with such force that Setsuna hit the floor and left a trail of ELS shards scratched across the carpeting. Setsuna was on his feet in an instant, weapon on hand and facing down the Emperor’s own Knight of One. Humanity needed the freedom to choose, and the freedom to mess up, and he had to just… he had to be better. He had to do better, to get past this wall of a man and to the Emperor behind him. Setsuna felt a terrible stirring in him, awakening the sort of trained fighter he had become, born from Celestial Being and forged in the stars. 

He lunged, his own forged blade striking against the Knight’s with an echoing _CLANG!_ Sparks flew from the sheer effort he was pushing against, and he was pushed back again. He was much nimbler now, trading parries and blocks with someone twice his size but just as quick on his feet. Setsuna didn’t have time to wonder how the other man was so agile and so quick to react, not when he had to get through him, had to get past him. He just had to push, to move, to do something and break through. 

If it had been a movie, it would be something akin to a dance. Both men were fighting, both men were standing so even with their differences. Setsuna would not say that he was at his best. He had been sleeping for so long, he had not really gotten into actual fights like this since before that. And the Knight of One - Bismarck Waldstein - was at his peak, and staying at his peak. He had the reach, Setsuna had the flexibility. Sparks flew across the room, lights flickered across the city. The combatants were going to tear each other asunder. 

Or they would have, if not for one poor step.

Setsuna had to end this. He had to gain distance, and run. He vanished, disappearing from before the Knight, intending to reappear and wound him, to buy himself time. But time seemed to slow as he reappeared, instead of finding Bismarck’s back turned to him, there was a blade. His back hit the wall, shards of ELS bursting from the wound to staunch the flow of blood, and the tip of the Knight’s sword was at his throat. 

How…? How had he known--?

Setsuna sputtered, bright, metallic head dribbling from his lips as his mind raced to try thinking of a way out. There was no surrender, he couldn’t be captured and killed by these people. He saw the Emperor rise again, the towering behemoth of a man moving towards him, and he could not free himself alone. 

_Help me. Help me!_

Outside, one of the military frames standing guard moved. The pilot panicked, unable to control the machine. It was moving, and it was heeding the call. It couldn’t stop, and it would not stop. It was heeding the call. The Innovator was yelling for help, the machines answered. Their loyalty was there, instantaneous and powerful. 

The very wall shattered, the frame opening fire. 

It was the only distraction Setsuna needed. The explosion broke the stone and staggered the Knight of One. Soldiers and guards rushed into position, but it was enough. Setsuna vanished. 

He ran. 

All he could do was run.


	6. All The Roads Long Ago

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He passed down all the roads long ago, and the Knight of One ran close behind him and covered his footprints.

He had to run. 

The Empire had turned, and he could not stay safe. 

Setsuna’s feet hit the river, needing to land and absorb some sort of sustenance. He had to rest. He had put a lot of distance between himself and Pendragon, but the roar of the machines, their voices shouting at him to keep running, meant they were coming for him. They were going to find him, they were going to keep going after him. But right now he needed the water to surge through him. The wound in his side had closed, the last of the ELS cauterization fading away as his body repaired and was as good as new. 

He could only do it so fast, and the thundering through the trees meant they had grown closer. 

Setsuna teleported across the water, now up to his knees as he watched the skies, the frames coming into view, lead by one he did not recognize. The Knight of One’s personal machine, that was how it had responded to him. Not swayed by his voice. No sense of mercy. Setsuna could have called his own, he could have yelled for the Exia, but then he would have killed her. He would have absolutely destroyed them all. But he was not that person. 

And he would not be that person. He refused.

Ali al-Saachez may have raised a killer, Celestial Being may have nurtured that side of him, but it had been the infinite expanse that had taught him that he was not one of those people. Not anymore. 

The machines descended, and Setsuna was shining radiantly. His eyes were a glowing gold as he latched on to everything. They landed, water surging and splashing as they did so. But Setsuna was not one of those people anymore. He felt it all, these machines were doing as they were told, and he told them to sleep. One by one they shut down. No guns, no wounded pilots, no deaths and no dismemberment. No screams of pain, no blood. 

And the Galahad… he stared that glorious machine down as he disappeared, teleporting up and into the sky. 

He ran.

He had been able to outrun them for a week before he needed to rest again. And same as before, when they found him, he shut down their machines and ran. Again and again, he ran. 

He could do nothing else but run.


	7. No Surrender, No Retreat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the pines, in the pines, where the sun never shines... You'll shiver the whole night through.

He hadn’t stopped running.

And he couldn’t stop running. Not to rest, not to sleep. There was no moment of respite, the Knight of One was hounding him. Setsuna had found his periods of rest growing shorter and shorter. As long as there was sunlight, he was able to manage. Water was only growing scarcer and scarcer, and he was finding it harder to stop moving. If he stopped, then they would find him.

Each and every time, when they found him, he did the same thing. He shut down their machines. No blood had been spilled. No one had been harmed. He would do no such thing. 

Setsuna’s strength and fortitude only went so far. 

He could not keep this up forever. 

He thought, more than once, about running back to the hangar. About disappearing there completely, or re-emerging with his Exia. He could almost hear her yelling for him. Calling him to come home. If he came home, he would be safe. If he came home, no one would find him. No one would be able to stop him if he had the Exia, but the world was not ready for them. Gundams were far too advanced, he would destroy this world’s natural order if he did. Though if he were honest, he was amazed she did not try to break down the palace to get to him. 

But she had to stay hidden. So did the 00. The Raphael. The Quan[T]. All of them and more needed to be hidden, never to be revealed to the world until things were right, until things were ready to stretch out into the stars. 

Setsuna took a gasping breath, finally pulling out of his thoughts to realize he had still been running, and there was nothing but forests and stone around him. Not even any snow or even a stream for him to rest in.

And worse, he could see a heavy wall of clouds rolling towards him. 

He had to land. He had to stop. Even just for a few moments. 

Disappearing from the sky, Setsuna’s feet touched down in a small valley. It wasn’t ideal, but he tucked himself under an outcropping of rock and stone and just tried to catch his breath. Only when he stopped, when he was no longer moving and no longer trying to run, did he realize how exhausted he had become. His muscles were screaming in agony and he could do nothing but sit, tucking his knees up to his chest. 

Maybe he could close his eyes, just for a little while. 

The rumbling of machinery woke him a few hours later. 

They had found him, and Setsuna peered out from his hiding place. The valley was lined with Frames, with so many of them just waiting for him. And he saw it, landing not a hundred yards from him, the Galahad was there. The voices that were filling his head were all telling him to keep running. To never stop. The soldier’s suits insisted he run. He had to keep running. But standing out among them was the deep, venerable voice of the Galahad. Like an old soldier, the machine had its own words for him. 

_Stop running._

It couldn’t see him, but he could hear this machine from where he was tucked away. 

_Stop running. Surrender, you’ve been running for days. Weeks, even. And you cannot keep going. Come out, come quietly. It will all be over soon._

Setsuna felt his stomach drop out. He knew he couldn’t keep running. There was almost no chance of getting out of here unless he fought his way out, and he was still so tired. 

In a flash of silver, there he was. Out of immediate reach of the Galahad, but standing there on the stone, surrounded by soldiers. There was little he could do. With the gold flickering in his eyes, one by one the Frames around him shut down. Just like before. Shutdown after shutdown until there was only the Galahad. And unlike before, Setsuna did not shut it down. Instead, he forced the machine to open its cockpit. 

Inside, a single set of words appeared on the monitors. 

[I can’t surrender] 

A pause.

[I’m sorry]

Setsuna braced himself, the world seeming to dull as the clouds washed over them, and the Knight of One exited his machine. There was still fight left in Setsuna, and they both knew that someone like him would not just surrender. The fight and fire would have to be beaten out of him. 

It was not a duty that Bismarck was going to enjoy. 

Setsuna had, admittedly and notably, not harmed any single person in his flight. Every time, the machines were merely shut down. No one was injured, not even bruised. 

The Knight of One owed it to him to make this as quick as possible.

And he would respect what had already been laid out. He would not kill Setsuna. The strange, silver demigod had not harmed his men, not even as they hunted him. No, he had made a point not to. He very deliberately did not harm any of them, and it did not go unnoticed. Still, Bismarck knew people like him. And he did not look forwards to what was ahead of him. 

Setsuna drew a deep breath, that same ELS blade forming in his hands. He was exhausted. He could barely keep going, but he could not give in. There was no surrender, there was no retreat. 

He charged. 

His movements were nowhere near as refined as they had been during their first encounter. These were not the movements of a proper soldier, but ones of a desperate beast. Bismarck deflected the blow, effortlessly shoving Setsuna into the stone. The Innovator pushed himself up immediately, and tried again. 

And again, he was struck aside. 

He charged, and charged, and ran and struck desperately at the Knight of One until he was covered in dirt and sweat, struggling to stay upright. It was sad to see, this creature who had once shown promise, shown a great deal of power and fascinating abilities, reduced to no more than an exhausted, mortal creature. Something that, in any other circumstances, would be put down. Bismarck would not be the one to end him, and he had his orders. The Innovator must be taken alive. There were plans in motion. 

Setsuna stood, if barely. He took ragged, heavy breaths as he focused. He couldn’t afford to fall here, but there was nothing left in him. 

If it were any other man, Bismarck would have told him to surrender. 

Instead, he readied his sword for Setsuna’s final charge. 

Setsuna did. He took weak, staggering steps and swung. The world seemed to slow, everything seemed to fade until it was just the two of them. His weapon shattered, and he was struck with such force that he tumbled back across the stone floor of the valley. Blood and ELS shards littered the dirt and pebbles. It seemed that it was over, that they could bring him back for the plan to proceed. 

His hands balled into fists, and his knuckles hit the dirt as he tried to push himself up. One more go… One more…

A shadow fell over him, and he did not look up. 

And the Knight of One said nothing. There was nothing to say.

When Setsuna regained consciousness, he was very aware of the IV in his arm, water being fed into him. Just enough to make him live, but not enough that he could do anything. Someone pulled him so he was sitting upright, and held his head up. His eyes were open, and held open. 

There was no strength in him to fight, he couldn’t, no matter how badly he wanted to. 

And try as he might, he could not look away from the strange glow in the Emperor’s eyes.


	8. The Desert Dawn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Suzaku has been granted an operations partner. He is not amused.

It wasn’t that he wanted a ‘partner’.

It was that he didn’t really know if he wanted someone that had apparently not existed until a few days ago. 

Suzaku wouldn’t say this out loud, of course, but the skepticism was deep in his being when he heard Lloyd say there was a new pilot arriving. That day. Here. That same sort of skepticism grew when he could make out the white and gold cloak of the goddamn _Knight of One_ entering the hangar with a black-haired young man walking about half a pace behind him. He had several things he wanted to say, but it was probably best if he didn’t actually say them. Suzaku did enjoy both keeping his limbs and keeping his job. Those ill-comments would have to wait until another time. 

Everyone had gathered, it seemed. The Knight of One showing up was an incredibly important and definitely not unusual occurrence. He surely had more important things to do than escort some new pilot to them. It added a very deep sense of dread in Suzaku’s stomach, but he couldn’t really figure out why. Was this strange person just that important? If so, why did no one seem to know about this until now? 

Bismarck didn’t make ‘house calls’ for lack of a better term. But here he was, with the least impressive ward. This black-haired stranger was short, scrawny at best, and there was nothing just… interesting. Sure, he very visibly wasn’t Japanese, nor was he Britannian. Suzaku could tell in the shape of his jaw and the rust-color of his eyes, or the color of his skin. This wasn’t someone who seemed important or worthy of such an escort. Why the hell was he so important that it took the Emperor’s right hand to deliver him? And surely the personal doctor who seemed to be not far behind was excessive. 

To Suzaku, this was utter bullshit. 

But as set as his jaw was, he stood at attention as the unusual entourage came to a stop. There was no fanfare, just the Knight of One speaking to Lloyd in his hardened tone. About their newest member. No, he wasn’t a replacement for Kururugi. He was to work alongside Suzaku and the Lancelot. However poorly that went. Suzaku listened carefully, picking up phrases about medical needs, hydration requirements, really stupid things that he had no idea why they were so important with this particular skinny twat. 

Still, he probably had to be polite. 

No words were actually said between the stranger and the Knight, they simply glanced to one another and the former departed. Lloyd then rather carefully guided the young man away, whichever medical attendant at his side moving off to do… fucking whatever, Suzaku didn’t know. 

“Well, it’s settled. Suzaku, I’d like you to meet your new partner. He’s not taking over the Lancelot, I think I would die.” Lloyd said, being, well, Lloyd. 

The scrawny young man in uniform met Suzaku’s gaze, extending his hand politely. 

“Soran al-Saachez, Britannian ELS-001, sent here to assist in the efforts against the Black Knights.” His voice was so cold. His eyes were hardened, and he looked so… Suzaku didn’t have words for it. There didn’t seem to fit the rest of him. Those eyes looked like he was thousands of years old, that he had seen things that Suzaku wasn’t really sure he wanted to know about. 

But he shook this strange pilot’s hand. 

“Suzaku Kururugi, the pilot of the Lancelot.” 

Short and to the point. Apparently that’s all he needed, with his medical assistant moving in to guide him off. Time for medication, apparently. Suzaku wasn’t entirely an idiot, and kept glancing over. It seemed like this new person was taking a handful of pills. There were at least six in his hand, all taken and washed down with an insane amount of water. Whatever was so special about him apparently needed all sorts of horse pills. What the hell was a “Britannian ELS” anyways? 

Working with this strange person was not really something he was looking forwards to, buy Lloyd was Lloyd, and it was time for them to get to it. Various test simulations, drills, everything run over and over to get them used to working together. 

And as much as he didn’t want to admit it, Suzaku was kind of impressed.

Whoever Soran was, he was expertly talented in piloting a Knightmare Frame. He was not in a specialized machine either, Lloyd had just shoved him into the most generic piece of machinery ever and he was keeping up with the Lancelot. Keeping up with Suzaku and doing things that he had no idea how were done. 

Their seventh test finished, and Suzaku stepped out of the Lancelot, looking over at Soran as he dropped down onto the catwalk. 

“Where did you learn that? You’ve got a real talent for this.” He could at least try to be friendly, but he was impressed. 

But Soran just…

...looked at him. 

Suzaku didn’t have really words for it. It was like Soran’s brain paused and he was trying to restart. It took several seconds, and he felt like an asshole. What did Britannia do to make his brain just stop like this? 

“I’m sorry.” Soran finally said. “Everything just… blanked out for a moment. I was trained by Sir Bismarck Waldstein personally, since I was young.” 

Suzaku wasn’t going to admit that it felt so weird. That some part of him internally squirmed at just how wrong Soran was acting. But there was nothing more, and Soran moved off to his waiting medical attendant. More pills. More water. Suzaku wasn’t going to push, it didn’t really seem right. Maybe he’d find a way to vent this sort of strange, unsettling frustration that was brewing in him later. 

Probably in the shower. With his hand. 

Vulgar, but he was really beyond the point of caring. 

But Suzaku left for the day. He had a thousand things to do at all times. He was a pilot. He was Euphemia’s guard. He was so many things, and he couldn’t spend too much time dwelling on Soran’s medical regiment or the weird brain malfunction he apparently had. There was always something to do. 

Always.


	9. These Things Happen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> At the end of the day, Suzaku is still human. Very, very human.

Things happened.

They always did.

Soran had been Suzaku’s partner for all of three weeks, and though the latter felt he was no closer to really understanding the ‘why’ of how Soran did things, he was just starting to understand him in little ways that made his life easier. 

There were no more worries about Lancelot’s maintenance, Lloyd even noted that Soran seemed to have a knack for repairs, even on his own standard Frame. He spent long hours just working in the hangar alongside the more… enthusiastic man. Soran just seemed to know how things were, and what things needed fixing immediately. He had found that the Lancelot handled beautifully now, there was some sort of seamless fluidity to its movements now and Suzaku had no idea how Soran did it. 

Another thing he had learned is that Soran drank water pretty much constantly. Almost always with a water bottle with him. Or he stood under the showers for a longer time than he was supposed to. His medical assistant said it was something about his nebulous condition, and that went with the insane amount of Vitamin D that Soran seemed to be ingesting. Suzaku didn’t know if you could have enough to kill a moose but that seemed to be the amount that Soran was taking daily. He didn’t really want to question.

He’d learned that Soran was from Kurdistan, and that he did not enjoy speaking about his past. It always cause that glass-eyed stare and silence that would pass. But Suzaku did learn that he was in some sort of Britannian super soldier program, there were needlemarks and scars on his skin that Suzaku learned to just not question. Maybe it had to do with all the pills he took too. 

But most of all, he had learned Soran’s incredibly brutal combat abilities. And not just by sparring or seeing him in combat.

In this very moment, where things went tits-up and they were more or less running. Things went wrong, and things happened, but Soran was so cool, so calm and unreasonably collected while they were fleeing from gunfire and waiting for extraction. The debris and the outright terrible amount of twisted metals and bullets they had to dodge was a challenge, and Suzaku was not sure why or how Soran seemed to navigate it all very naturally. Like he had done something like this before. However, running away from this particular problem took precedence over any sort of question and answer session. They had to not get hit. They had to NOT get hit. 

They had to--

Soran grabbed his arm and pulled him, and the two of them found themselves wedged under what was probably some building at some point. Pressed closely together, peering out at the dust and the sound of boots and angry Eleven voices. 

For a second or two, Suzaku didn’t breathe, and he was absolutely certain that Soran wasn’t. 

But in that moment, Suzaku realized how cold Soran’s body seemed to be. His hands were pushed up against the shorter man’s sides and he could feel every movement in the muscle. Had he always been so firm? Had he just forgotten all of this in one way or another? Was he really so cold all the time? They had just been running but he could feel this coldness through the uniform. But his body felt so…

_’I’m going to hell. I’m going to hell just thinking about this!’_ Suzaku immediately winced, internally yelling at himself for even thinking of something. 

It would be wrong to take advantage of this situation. 

It would be wrong!

And what would Euphemia say? He couldn’t tell her he was feeling some weakness in that moment. Some weak, animalistic curiosity that wondered just what Soran’s lips tasted like and what he--

“Suzaku.”

His thoughts ground to a halt, turning his head away from the opening of their hidey-hole to stare directly into Soran’s rust-amber eyes. And he could have sworn for half a heartbeat they were gold. 

“It’s alright.” Soran’s voice sounded so calm, and so reassuring. “We made it, we’re safe. We just have to make it to the extraction point, it will be alright.” 

Suzaku definitely tried to ignore the twitch in his lower body. Soran either didn’t notice or didn’t care. 

“C’mon, we’ll--”

Soran didn’t get a chance to finish. Taken over by impulse and probably the worst decision he had made that day, Suzaku pressed their lips together. And he couldn’t get over it, that Soran tasted like ice and steel, but he’d done it. 

And Soran didn’t push him away. 

Actually, he kissed back. 

_Oh no. Oh no no no what am I doing?_ Suzaku’s inner monologue didn’t reach the rest of him, not for several long seconds where the Lancelot’s pilot was more focused on his hormones than anything else. 

After several moments and bad decisions, they finally parted, and Suzaku was sure that he was breathing heavier than before. Soran managed to slide out of their hiding place first, and Suzaku probably took too long just looking at him before he had moved out after him. He needed a cold shower yesterday. And probably a chastity belt. But Soran wasn’t bringing it up, didn’t say a word as they slipped through to the extraction. 

They said nothing about it. 

Just sat in what Suzaku thought was the most awkward silence he had ever been in. Through their extraction. Through the debrief. Through whatever Lloyd was saying about taking care of himself because honestly Suzaku wasn’t listening. 

Soran didn’t seem to be listening either, his medical assistant was shoving more pills at him and all-but pouring water into his face. Soran insisted that he didn’t need it right now, but that did nothing, he still swallowed the handful of pills before they both managed to escape to the showers. 

And now Suzaku hated himself. 

Suzaku couldn’t get the water cold enough, but he could feel the steam from Soran’s hot shower not far away. And he kept just… glancing over.

Soran’s body was… better than he had remembered in exercises. Suzaku was just staring at the curve of his back and how his arms flexed when he tried to wash himself over. How his hair just fell all over his face and never seemed to be tameable in any sense of the word. He noticed the scars, but ultimately he was looking past them. He was seeing Soran, probably in the newest light possible. He was staring now. Staring like he was seeing Soran for the first time. 

But he blinked and the other man was gone, having finished up and departed. Likely for whatever private room he was kept in. Suzaku didn’t pry too hard at the time, but now there was a lurking _want_ in his mind. 

He had dismissed Soran in their first few interactions. Soran was quiet, aloof, never really opening up about who he was and what he was, and it had just made the Lancelot’s pilot not really care. Now it was different, like a deep-seeded attraction he didn’t know about was slowly pushing its way to the surface and he wasn’t sure he liked it. Suzaku liked being in control of himself, of the emotions and feelings that came with it. This sudden burst of infatuation was terrifying him. He was supposed to be on-top of things. 

Suzaku had… a hard time sleeping that night.


	10. Young Gods

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oh, soldier boy, you know we're going to be legends  
> I'm the knight, and you're with me, and we will reject the heavens...

Suzaku realized he had it bad.

Whatever ‘it’ was. 

And it was interfering. Between Euphemia and Soran, he found his brain extremely distracted. What was he supposed to be focusing on? He couldn’t sort it out, his feelings complicated by his youth and overall inexperience. The threat of the Black Knights, whoever they really were, was growing more and more. There were operations, countless tasks asked of him, and when he could not, Soran did. And Soran _did_ with little sense of self-preservation. 

He wasn’t going to count the number of times he had seen blood on the other pilot’s clothes. On how fast he vanished to the showers. But Suzaku never saw blood on the tile, just… washing down the drain. 

He was starting to suspect that Soran was… 

No, he couldn’t think like that. 

Suzaku rolled his shoulders, looking across the mat at Soran. Training, they called it. See which one of them came out on top. Which one of them was going to win. Sparring, fighting, any name fit. He had a feeling that Soran was not going to let him off easy. 

And… he hoped as much.

He had seen Soran in combat. Whatever training he had, whatever “001” meant, Soran was going to be strong enough to be a threat. 

It was instantaneous. Soran was across the mat one moment and right at him the next. Suzaku wasn’t even sure he saw him move, arms raised but not soon enough. Soran hit him hard enough to stagger the taller young man, and Suzaku was nimble enough to recover without losing too much ground. Soran was fast. Almost in terms that Suzaku couldn’t quantify with real words. It was quick, it was powerful.

And he admired it.

Just not in the moment, where he was more concerned with gaining back what little ground he had lost from the initial strike. Each punch and kick was traded in equal measure, but Suzaku couldn’t shake the feeling that he was outright being toyed with. 

Soran struck. Hooking his leg behind Suzaku’s knee, he swept back, and was on top of the Lancelot’s pilot immediately. Soran was coming at him with intent to kill. It was in his eyes, in how cold his expression was, how cold his hands were and how terrifying he just was. It was in those bare seconds where time seemed to slow, when Suzaku looked into those rust-colored eyes and saw nothing. An absolute emptiness, like a drone, like some construct that had nothing inside him. 

A soulless puppet. 

Suzaku felt it rising in his chest, the moment that Soran’s hand grabbed his, intending to twist him around. To break bones. To make him hurt. To make… to kill...

A red glow filled around the edges of his green eyes. 

Soran didn’t have a chance to gasp. He was thrown back, with Suzaku lunging at him, hands grasping for his clothes, his hair, anything. There was no form, no semblance of discipline and control between them. Suzaku would live. He would not let himself be killed. He would break this threat. He would destroy him. 

End him.

End him. 

End--

Something hit him, right between the eyes. Something strong enough to disrupt his brain. To shock his system. There was blood on his hands and now gushing down his face. His vision refocused to see Soran, the two of them sprawled out on the mat with people running around calling for first aid. 

Those eyes were gold. Suzaku blinked and they were gone, but he could have sworn that Soran’s eyes were gold. He was alive. They both were alive. Bloody and bruised, ribs cracked and clothes torn. 

Live… Live had activated. Suzaku’s chest rose and fell with each heavy breath as men kept coming in, filing in to pull them both away from each other. 

They had tried to kill each other. 

Somehow, Suzaku could live with this.

Even as he was stopping the bleeding and making everything feel better, he realized he lost sight of Soran. He would apologize, he thought about it. Somehow he didn’t think Soran was too bothered by this. Were they going to be awkward when they had to work together again? He doubted it. There was something animalistic and terrible about the two of them. 

Suzaku kinda liked it. 

Soran wasn’t Lelouch. He was athletic and powerful. He didn’t have to worry about some grandiose schemes. They just had to work together., and he knew that Soran could keep up with him. 

The water was still running when Suzaku finally showed up. Soran didn’t seem like that much of a bloody mess anymore. Whatever horse pills and weird water he was drinking seemed to have been doing him wonders. 

And it was now that Suzaku felt his chest shudder. 

What did someone normal even say here? 

“Suzaku.” 

Well, Soran was going to break it first it seemed. They stood, steam rising around them and silence starting to settle. 

“Sorry about trying to ki--” Suzaku tried to apologize, but Soran cut him off. 

“If you want to go to heaven, Suzaku, you should fuck me tonight.”

At that moment, Suzaku’s brain stopped working. Did Soran read his mind? Was he aware of those glances? Was he not subtle when they had been crammed together, spending incredible amounts of time together, working over and over? Was it that obvious that he had so many longing and filthy thoughts about this? Soran looked so good…

Suzaku was going to heaven, right now.


	11. Moonlight Overture

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Suzaku and Soran talk about tomorrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Early as hell update because I completely forgot this chapter existed.

It happened once.

Then twice. Three times. 

They never talked about it, not until the moon was high and it was just them. The eve before something powerful, something grand. 

“Things are going to change, you know…”

Suzaku murmured, Soran tucked into the crook of his arm. Even now he was so cold, no matter how many blankets were piled on him. He was so cold, like metal. Suzaku never questioned it, it was astonishing in some ways. Soran mumbled something in response, but his words were sleepy and uninteligible.

“Euphie… she’s going to make things better. Tomorrow, at the school, she’ll make her announcement, and things will change for everyone.” He sounded optimistic still, that this ‘Special Administrative Zone’ thing would make it better, even a little bit, for them. His country was still a mess. It was still a nightmare and he felt that finally things were changing for the better. That he would finally see the change he had been fighting so hard to just start.

Soran rolled over, finally looking at him with those rust-colored eyes. 

“Princess Euphemia is very kind.” Soran finally said. 

Suzaku chuckled a little bit. “She’s... She’s really wonderful.” 

Soran did not comment on it. Suzaku knew there was a terrible hypocrisy of it all, that he and the other pilot were fucking like rabbits and his emotions were one tangled mess. He had love and eyes for Euphemia, but Soran apparently had hooks in his heart, and their repeated sexual escapades were definitely the opposite of those feelings. Suzaku wasn’t really sure what to really do to sort himself out. To tell himself that maybe it was okay to love them both. If it was love and not just utter infatuation. 

He wasn’t sure if he really was clever enough to sort it out, or if he wanted to. 

After several moments of silence, Soran laced their fingers together, and rested against the taller young man. 

“...I wish I had met you earlier.” 

That caught Suzaku off guard. 

“Maybe then I wouldn’t be like this. I… I don’t know what I used to be. I’ve been in one Britannian experimental program after another ever since I was young.” Soran spoke so quietly, and Suzaku wondered if it was because he was used to being watched every second of his life. 

And he didn’t know what to say. 

“Trained over and over to be some perfected soldier. And here I am, doing something I’m sure they would kill me for, but I think I like being able to do things for me.” 

Suzaku was quiet, reaching over and pulling Soran against him. Warm against how cold he was. Just warm.

“Whatever you do, I’ll be there to help you along. We’ll figure out who you are, together.” Suzaku said softly.

The moonlight fell over them, and there was nothing left to say.


	12. Dear Tragedy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> God damn right, you should be scared of me.

He was her escort today. 

Soran was clothed in proper garb, to show his status as an elevated soldier of Britannia. Whites and golds adorned him, and he walked a pace behind Princess Euphemia on the grounds of the academy. Suzaku still had a life, he had an entire world ahead of him, and Soran was trusted. Few soldiers were able to compare, because he had been engineered to this sort of perfection. It was only right. And no harm would come to her today, not while he was there. 

“Soran.”

Her voice drew him out of his thoughts, and he trotted up to her side, waiting for orders. 

“Don’t look so serious, alright? Today is going to change so many things.” Her smile was radiant, and he could feel it infecting him. 

Tension flowed from him. Completely drifting away. 

“Make sure you’ve had enough to drink too. I know your aid gets on your case constantly about it.”

He felt heat rise to his cheeks, embarrassed but he nodded and went for the bottle at his side. Water. Always more water. Always water and pills and time in the sunlight. 

Soran kept pace with her, hearing the sounds of other voices in whatever grand arena was waiting for them. Suzaku would be along, he knew it. Until then, he would keep an eye on her, especially after the announcement. 

And he stood at her side, hearing her announce that things would be better. That with the cameras on her, she was going to make things better. Reforge Japan. No longer calling them ‘Elevens’ but calling them ‘the Japanese.’ Things were going to get better. 

But…

Soran couldn’t shake the feeling in him, a tension that was not going away. It had been slowly winding up all day, and as he walked with the princess off the stage, he understood why. 

Zero was there. In his long cloak and empty mask. 

“Princess Euphemia, stay behind me.” Soran’s movements were immediate, staring into the blank, empty glass of the mask. There was no getting through him. 

Zero merely raised his hand dismissively. 

“I am not here to harm her, bodyguard. You can leave us.”

Soran did not move. 

“So be it then.” 

Soran stood, like a wall between the princess and the terrorist. He was every bit the proper guard that Suzaku could be, but there was something colder about him. Even as Euphemia spoke about her reasoning for the announcement, how she had abdicated the throne and was doing this for Nunnally - whoever that was, Soran did not know - he stood between them. Any threat had to get through him. 

And unbeknownst to him, it was coming. It was charging through towards him. 

Did he see a flicker of a light? A deep, purple-pink light, through the mask? Soran wasn’t sure, but he found that he couldn’t look away. He could barely hear what the princess was saying. She was upset by something, pulling at his arm, yelling words that he could not hear. Someone was telling him to look away. The mask was removed, and he felt like he should know the face. But that eye, that glowing symbol...

“Oh, for instance… I could order your bodyguard to go out there and murder the Japanese--”

Something pulsed in his head. 

“--and he would have no choice.” 

His body froze. It felt like something in his mind was cracking. 

_Kill them._

He sucked in a deep breath, his hands curled into fists as he struggled. He couldn’t. He couldn’t do such a thing. He could not--

_Wipe them out._

Soran shuddered, resisting his own body with as much willpower as he could gather as something in his mind was breaking. Like cracks spreading over glass, the more he resisted the worse it seemed to be. He had an order. He had to comply. 

He had the clarity of mind to look at the Princess. To stare at her with a red ring around his eyes. 

“I- I’m s-sorry.”

He vanished. The air around him seemed to rush into where he had been, and he reappeared before the crowd. His eyes were no longer rusted-red, but a bright, brilliant gold. Ringed by red. 

_Wipe them out. All of them._

The cameras watched as this Kurdish man in Britannian clothing raised his hands, and closed his fists. 

Great, silvery crystal spires surged from beneath the stands and seats. Bodies were impaled, people ripped and torn in two as he stepped forwards. Off the stage, and onto the very air like he was something else. Something greater. There were screams, cut off by the wave of silver shards and spikes that seemed to tear themselves out of the very ground to slaughter everyone he could see. 

And there were so many more. 

He vanished again, reappearing in the city. Knightmare Frames without pilots starting to move, and fire indiscriminately on buildings. More of the strange spires shot from the rubble, from the people he was tearing apart. His uniform ripped away, blue clothing from an organization no one ever heard of, records that no longer existed, appearing seemingly from his body. From his very skin. 

Cameras recording him showed it all. This man, walking on the very air, commanding machines, and slaughtering thousands. The air smelled of fire, metal, and blood. Of absolute carnage and catastrophe. 

A bloody swathe was torn through the city. The cracks in his mind grew more and more. The memories were breaking. This was what he was made for. This was what he was made for and it hurt. He was engineered to be this monster and it hurt. He was supposed to do this because he was commanded to and it hurt. The Japanese all had to die and it hurt. He would kill them all and it hurt. 

It hurt.

It hurt. 

It hurt. 

It…

It…

Setsuna F. Seiei opened his eyes. 

His feet hit rubble and ruin, and he sucked in a sharp breath, as if he had not breathed in days. Heart pounding. Head aching. He stood, frozen on a cleared street, and there was no mistaking the outright monstrous path of carnage and destruction behind him. 

The red ring faded from his eyes, and he stared. Corpses. Broken machines. Destroyed buildings. He could hear people shouting. He could hear them screaming for help. For rescue crews that were delayed by the destruction behind him. And he could not turn his eyes away, staring in a sick bewilderment. What had been done? What happened to him? 

He remembered those eyes, those glowing eyes. He remembered… flashes. Someone named Suzaku… and a princess. His head ached.

A bullet flew past his cheek, and he could finally feel the sensation of warmth covering half of his face. Blood. He smelled like blood and flesh. Had he done this? Had he caused all of this? Slowly, he turned, staring at a man he did not recognize, in a long purple cloak, with a soulless mask. 

Silver spread across his skin. He was no human.

“...What did you make me do?”

He was a monster. 

Not a man, as he had been minutes ago escorting the princess around, but something else. Some silver, metallic creature. Voices flooded his head, the screaming of machines and humans alike, and as he stared wide-eyed at the masked man, he knew he had done something terrible. Memories of what he was now and flashes of some being he had been only a few seconds ago flooded his consciousness and he could not untangle the mess of it all. He did not want to believe that he had cut this trail of destruction, but Setsuna knew he did. No one else would be capable of such a massacre. 

But the princess-- where was she? He struggled to filter out the panic in his ears, but he could hear clearly. The princess was safe. He didn’t remember why that was important, everything was muddling together as time seemed to just stand still between the two of them.

A second gunshot, this one grazing his arm and leaving a spike of ELS shards in its wake. Setsuna didn’t even flinch. What was more blood, more injury on top of the mountain of corpses he had left behind him? 

“What. Did. You. Make. Me. Do?!”

The anger was surging in him, and Setsuna started moving forwards. Buildings were falling, the road was going to collapse beneath his feet if he wished it, and he needed answers. He had been manipulated far too much to keep letting it happen. Brainwashed, entranced, held in this thrall of Britannia’s Emperor, and now mocked and ordered to slaughter like a rampaging dog. Ali really had taught him well, and turned him into this brutal monster. This utterly nightmarish being. 

Another bullet, this time missing him as it whizzed past his ear. The masked man was still firing, his actions panicked and erratic. Setsuna needed answers. He had to know, what had been done, and what he was made to do. 

This was not the emperor’s doing, he knew that much. 

He walked, feet hitting concrete and rubble, his eyes shining under the plumes of smoke. He would have answers, he would know. And he would tear this masked man apart piece by piece if he had to. 

Something hit him. A blur of white and anger tackling him so hard his feet weren’t on the ground. Weren’t even on the road. A twisted, tangle of fighting limbs and combat as they tumbled to the ground below, and fought and tore at each other among the rubble until finally the bodies managed to separate. 

Setsuna… he knew this person, right? The constructed memories were muddled, and he wasn’t sure if knowing this man - this kid, he couldn’t be more than 17 - with messy brown hair and anger in his green eyes, was real or not. Did he know him, really? Setsuna couldn’t remember his name, and he just didn’t know. He didn’t know if those memories were real. If those were a mess, or if he was going to be broken by this. 

“What are you?! What the hell are you!?”

A young man, in a white pilot suit and a raised gun. 

Setsuna felt like he had been this person before. Was there any way he could explain this? Was there anything he could say?

“What did you do to Soran?!” 

His stomach rolled. Was that the lie that he had been playing as? Was he supposed to be Soran again, was he supposed to just be… He couldn’t be Soran, whoever this stranger knew as ‘Soran.’

Setsuna took a breath.

“This is the real me.” He wasn’t sure what to say. “Soran… I haven’t been Soran since I was human.” 

Suddenly the other in white was in front of him, and a fist connected to his face. He stumbled, and was set upon. The anger in the air. The fury. Setsuna was a fighter, and whatever this young man knew before… Whoever he used to be, whoever he was, they both were fighting. They had to fight. 

Maybe that was what he was supposed to be. 

“You aren’t him! You’re not him! Whatever the hell you did-- Soran wouldn’t… He wouldn’t kill all those people!”

_But you did. You murdered so many people. You did exactly as you were ordered to._

Setsuna twisted, throwing the young man off of him and rushing towards him again. Striking him, hitting back as hard as he had been struck. He could do this, fight until they were exhausted. He grabbed his - S… his name started with an S - wrists, and pinned him down against the rubble they both had been surrounded by. The ruins and wreckage. 

The silence around them rose.

“...I did… I was ordered to…”

He could feel the tension rise. 

“And I killed them. All of them.” 

Setsuna let go, and was immediately punched on the face. He fell, back hitting the dust as the young man jumped on him again. 

_S. Su --something. Su… Suz…?_

“What did you do to Soran? Did you just… what did you do?!” He shouted. Tears in his eyes. “You… He was supposed to protect her. He was supposed to protect Euphie, and he--you--!”

Euphemia. He knew that name. He knew that name and there was a face… He had to piece it all together, somehow. He had to try to remember. 

The silver faded. The black spread from his roots, and the tan skin washed over. It was a blink and there was no longer a shiny creature on the ground. But Soran. Soran as he was known. It cycled through, washing over him. Setsuna blinked, forced the change through him, and forced himself back into the proper, shiny creature he was now. 

The shock was there, in those green eyes that were filled with tears. 

“Suzaku.” 

It hit him. He remembered that name. 

“Suzaku. It’s me.” 

Suzaku froze. Setsuna could see the shock and panic in him, and he pushed. Sitting up. Standing. The two of them staring at one another. Setsuna knew exactly what sort of panic and madness his entire being caused, and there was so much that he wanted to say. He needed to say something. 

“That… I don’t remember what was done to me. I feel like I was asleep, waking up to blood and carnage and-- and I killed so many--” 

A bullet ripped through his cheek, leaving his face torn and lined in ELS shards. A second, through his chest. A third through his leg. Blood - red and metallic - splattered on the dust and ground around him, and he staggered back. He barely saw Suzaku move before he was kicked. The force threw him against the ground, rolling until he hit a piece of rubble. A hand grabbed him by the collar, dragging him back up. 

“I’ll make sure you never get a chance to do this again.” Suzaku growled. Zero was forgotten. The Black Knights were forgotten. There was only the two of them. 

Setsuna’s eyes glowed brightly, and his hands grabbed Suzaku’s wrists. He twisted, throwing Suzaku into the broken wall.

“I’m sorry.” 

As soldiers marched, scrambling to the mouth of their torn battleground and trying to apprehend and fire upon the silver creature, Setsuna disappeared.


	13. Reach Out To The Stars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Euphemia reaches out to find 'Soran', to learn who he really is. Setsuna hears, and he will answer.

How long he stayed in the tank of water, he wasn’t sure. 

Setsuna took a deep breath. He had been trying to listen to the recordings that Tieria had left him, but each time he needed to stop. He had to, there was nothing he could do to stop breaking down into sobs. 

His memories were muddled. He was still sorting through what had been real, and what had been done under the hazes of multiple corruptive orders and commands. Suzaku he remembered. He remembered being crammed under some debris with him. He remembered (with some degree of personal revulsion) being intimate with him. His body had not been his own, and the very thought of sex, even when he had been willing at the time, made him want to vomit. 

But he couldn’t blame Suzaku for the actions and emotions of “Soran al-Saachez.” 

The wounds had closed. The body was recovering. Even when he tried to scrub his body and feel clean, the water did as it was supposed to. Healed. Hydrated. 

He pulled himself out of the tank, excess water dripping on the floor. He moved his wrist, hearing the Britannian news pour in again. The carnage was still being cleaned up. The bodies were still being found. Some victims were only found in pieces. He had done exactly as he had been ordered to, and he feared what sort of nightmare would wait for him when he left the hangar. 

And he would have to leave the hangar. 

His eyes felt heavy again. He needed more rest. He cycled the water out of the tank, replacing it with clean water before climbing in. He needed to rest. He needed to recover.

When he started coming around again, the news was still going. It had been a few days. The ELS had been cleared. Bodies had been buried. Construction was underway again. They were rebuilding, and it sounded like things were going for the better. But no thanks to him. He had torn everyone asunder. 

“In a few minutes, we will hear from Princess Euphemia li Britannia, concerning the terrible attack.”

Setsuna dragged himself up again, cycling out the water and turning on a lamp. He needed light and warmth, but he did not dare go out right now. He couldn’t risk someone finding this place. The Gundams were too advanced for this sort of world, and if he risked it, no one would survive. No one could fight against them with the sort of technology they have now. And Setsuna needed to keep it safe. He waited under the sunlamp, watching the monitor. An empty podium. Microphones. Britannia’s flag.

And there she was. 

It was coming back more and more. Princess Euphemia. He remembered her. He remembered her and his memories had tangled her with Marina. He blinked his eyes and was sure he had seen Marina there at the podium, looking at him. 

“I want to address the individual responsible. A young man who had been assigned to my guard that day, one I had met before, and whom I had come to know as a quiet, dutiful sort.” She was addressing him.

He felt his stomach turn. 

“I am not excusing his actions. The terrible destruction and loss of life, the things he did cannot be excused. If you are out there, I want you to please, come out of hiding. Come to me. What you were manipulated into doing was horrific, and please, things need to be healed, repaired, and restored.”

She wanted to talk to him. Wanted him to go speak to him. Setsuna turned off the news, letting the silence fall over him. 

_You have to go._

It was the Quan[T], and he lifted his head. He walked out into the hangar, the eyes of each machine lit up. Had they been talking while he was out? Probably. No one was fighting. 

_The world knows you exist now, and something must be done._

“But… I can’t beat the Knight of One. I can’t outsmart them… I don’t have a forecaster. I don’t have anyone on my side.” Insecurity and uncertainty were not hallmarks of his being, but his mind felt so divided. He had been manipulated into terrible things, over and over. Would that just happen again?

_It sounds like that princess wants to be on your side. You cannot hide away from them now._

Setsuna folded his arms. 

She was right, and he knew it.


	14. Heeding The Call

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Setsuna returns.

The stars were very beautiful above the balcony. 

Each of them shining with equal splendor above less noble halls, each of them a spark, a sign of things to come. Each one a guide for old sailors and hopes and dreams for children. 

And though she had renounced any claim to the throne, Euphemia still sat above all those below her, status and rank hanging over her head as the stars above did. She had made her plea to whoever Soran really had been, not that she knew. Not that Suzaku did either. He had seemed to hurt, but he didn’t seem to want to talk about it. 

He did, of course, when it was just them. When his hands were balled into fists. When his frustrated expression was spilling over into stilted speech. She knew, she wasn’t an idiot. Whoever Soran had been to _Suzaku_ , that all changed. Evaporated with… whatever had happened. She still did not really have the details, and she too was somewhat frustrated that no one wanted to really give her them. But she had made her plea, and she had hoped that whoever and whatever that silver man was, he would find his way to her. 

There had to be a reason for it, she knew this. That there was something in whatever Zero had done to him that had awakened this sort of monstrous destruction. No one would tell her what program Soran had supposedly come from. No one seemed to know. 

“He won’t come.”

Suzaku’s bitterness was clear in his voice, closing the glass door behind him. 

“I believe he will.” Euphemia replied, not moving from her seat at the edge of the balcony, just watching the stars. 

He moved beside her, sitting down to look out along with her. The silence between them stretched on. Seconds. Minutes. 

“...what will you do if he does?” He finally asked, moving his hand over hers. 

She was quiet for a few more moments. 

“I will invite him inside. And I’ll listen to him.” 

That seemed to satisfy her knight, and they sat in silence. 

Time ticked by. The stars grew brighter as the night grew darker, and it seemed that there was going to be no showing of this mysterious shiny creature. Person. Euphemia had to remind herself that this was a person. No different from herself. No different than Suzaku, or any other person. His silver skin and his strange powers were just different parts of him. But at the core, some part of her knew he was human. She had so many questions to ask, but she needed to know one thing. Why. That was all she needed to really know. 

Something flickered in the skies above them. One of the stars was moving, like a comet leaving a pale green trail of light behind it. And it was getting closer, the shine fading, and fading…

Euphemia gave Suzaku’s hand a squeeze. 

“I knew it.” 

Before them, flying down from the very heavens, came the same person who had caused so many deaths. A man with a Kurdish face, and a red scarf. Even though his clothing was tinted with the same metallic sheen as the rest of him, he looked almost human. He looked alive. 

“Soran…” 

The words left Suzaku’s lips, and to his credit, Setsuna did not flinch. The two stepped back, giving him space to land. And once his feet were on the ground, he looked almost like them. The light from the room inside illuminated his features, they were human. Even if his eyes glowed with a flickering storm of gold hues, he was human. 

“My name, my true name, is Setsuna F. Seiei.”

There was something that made Suzaku wince. A Japanese name. A name like those he just slaughtered mercilessly--

“I know you probably-- probably have questions.” Nervousness? Was he not as divine as he appeared? “But…. I want to explain everything. First and foremost. I need someone to know what I am, and what really happened to me.” 

Suzaku flinched again. Anger was welling in him. Even the princess’ presence was not quelling him. He was angry. He had been lied to. Deceived. He had so many complicated, twisted emotions that he didn’t know how to properly vent them. Setsuna knew it, that it would only be a matter of time before they had to deal with it. He hoped that it wouldn’t be in front of the princess. 

But… he had to be honest. 

“I used to be a human being, tens of thousands of years ago…” 

It was a long story, but one he told in meticulous detail. It felt like now, someone was learning. Someone was going to know their names. The Gundam Meisters. Celestial Being. Who he was and who he had been, it was all laid out. From humanity’s expansion to the stars, to the stars fighting back and tearing them asunder. 

He told them about waking up completely alone, about learning about the Britannian Empire. He told them all about how he had been discovered. 

And Setsuna’s eyes darkened when he spoke about the Emperor himself. 

He spoke about running, about being hunted down. He had never harmed them, but it had done nothing to save him in the end. 

“...I only know now that my memories had been… rewritten. To be this pawn, this ace pilot sent to be your partner, Suzaku. I was just supposed to be out of the way, and you had no way of knowing.” 

There was a silence between them before he continued. 

“When Zero… When he gave me that command, it was enough to break whatever spell had been on me, but-- but I killed so many people. I can’t even try to deny it. That I had been used, that I had destroyed so many lives. I killed them all, and I cannot undo it, or do anything but take responsibility for it.” 

But it had all been laid out now. Everything was in the open, and the shocked faces before him said it all. He had done so much, and he knew it was hard to believe. Whatever he was had been so different to them, the world had changed so suddenly before them and he knew it would take time to process. He felt so bad for them both, to know they could not forget it now, they could not go back to what they had been in the hours before he arrived. 

It was by Suzaku’s suggestion that they retire, and Euphemia agreed. Setsuna was allowed inside, given a room, and he made sure that the princess retired to bed safe and sound. 

He and Suzaku needed to talk.

They moved back outside, to the balcony, and Suzaku immediately punched him in the face. 

Setsuna couldn’t say he didn’t deserve it. 

“You’re some fucking--some goddamn _demigod_?! Some bullshit spectre from another time and you just-- why? How dare you… you could have done so much-- you could have saved us from _this!_ ”

There were so many emotions that Suzaku was trying to process, grabbing Setsuna by his shirt to just have some sort of contact while his mind went wild. 

“How dare you just… you just show up! How dare you come to us now, when the world is _THIS?!_ ” 

Bitter, angry tears welled in his eyes, his grip tightening. 

“Was it some game? Did you really feel something or was it all just some bullshit manipulated memories that you tried to forget? Did you come here to just… laugh at me?” 

Setsuna took a deep breath, and brought his hands up to curl around Suzaku’s. He was so cold. Always so cold. 

_Soran had always been cold too…_

“It was real.” 

Setsuna’s words made the knight flinch, and he let go. Their hands, fingers intertwined, lowered, and he could feel Suzaku shaking. Trying to figure out what to say. Trying to learn what he should do. There was just silence between them now. Absolute silence, with the night growing darker and the world seeming to disappear around them. 

“I’m sorry.” Setsuna whispered. “I can’t apologize enough for what I did to you, and what I was made to do. But… it was real, and maybe some part of it is real. I don’t know, I’ve-- I’ve never had to go through this before. I hurt you, and I can’t take that back.”

Suzaku’s head dropped onto his shoulder, and his arms slowly wrapped around the shiny demigod. 

“Just… stay. With us.”

There was a pause, and the night grew colder. 

“...with me.


	15. Repair

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The bodies are cleaned up and life goes on. New is built upon the old.

When morning came, he was alone. 

Setsuna could find no comfort in stepping outside, not right now. He was certain for now he needed to be as quiet and as covert as possible, even if that left him behind closed doors and just standing under the sunlight to simply be. It wasn’t something he could blame anyone for. He had brought this sort of mess upon himself, and he would stay as long as Euphemia and Suzaku wanted him to. Or needed him to. 

Finding the two of them was not hard. 

A great table was covered in various maps and documents, and it only took a glance for Setsuna to realize that this was mostly for the restoration of Japan to a proper country. And somewhere inside him, he knew he could solve this. Just get the Exia and go. But that wouldn’t fix anything. It would just be one continuing conflict, rampaging on over and over. Euphemia had a plan, to actually change things, to genuinely make things better. 

_Marina was like that too._

He had to banish the thought from his head, greeting the princess and her knight with a smile.

There was a lot of work to do, and Setsuna had rebuilt enough nations in his time to know the amount of work ahead of them. 

“I want to help, in any way I can. It won’t undo the amount of damage I’ve done, but I can’t pretend that nothing happened.” At least explaining it was easy. 

Euphemia’s smile was so familiar. So warm.

_Just like Marina’s…_

“I’m sure we can find some arraignment. We know, now, that what you did wasn’t your fault, but we’ll need to find a way to explain that to the public. To prove to them you aren’t the monster that you were shown to be.” Euphemia explained, looking down at the mountain of papers in front of her. 

Setsuna would not say out loud that he was very capable of being that sort of monster. It did not need to be mentioned, not this time. All three of them knew he was, he could be. And he hoped that he did not need to be ever again. 

“The Black Knights are still involved, still moving for revolt and revolution. And they will keep pushing. I don’t think this zone is going to pacify them forever.” She admitted. 

“No, it won’t, not forever. But it will give you time, and time is what these things need more than anything. Even if they start massing their forces, even if their intent is to still start fire and conflict, this will give you time to prepare against whatever comes your way.” 

Setsuna spoke from experience. He had done much, to know that this would be its own sort of… terrible mess if it spilled over. And he had a feeling it would at some point. They always did, in their own ways. 

“Well, you said you’re all connected to machinery. Couldn’t you just find where they are, and stop this?” Suzaku asked, probably a little more bitter than needed.

“I could, but I don’t think that would really solve anything. If they become martyrs, that only inspires more people, and it continues on in a cycle.” Setsuna replied, picking up one of the folders on the table and starting to look through it. 

Infrastructure plans, renovations, improved living conditions, it was all here. The start for something truly productive. Something that could be made good, without the touch and taint of whatever the Emperor wanted to do to destroy it. All for his plan, to unite humanity in one single consciousness. Setsuna would rather continue the cycle instead of robbing humanity of that individuality. They would be easy targets for something like the Brethren Moons if he did not. 

And he wasn’t about to go have a fine chat with Charles again. Not after the last time. He would probably end up being stabbed. 

Again. 

Setsuna paged through some of the plans and proposals, starting to sort and organize a few things across a single bare space of the table. Things that he thought would be a better priority. 

And then he realized that Euphemia was basically hovering over his shoulder. He definitely jumped, maybe more than he should have. It was hard to ignore that she had just appeared, and she apparently found that little jump entertaining. 

“I’m going to guess there’s a method to your organizing.” She teased.

“Are you… blushing?” Suzaku somehow was on the other side of him, and Setsuna could feel the heat rise to his cheeks. 

He felt so human. Human! Flanked on both sides by the princess and her knight, Setsuna couldn’t help himself. He was definitely blushing, stumbling through a few words and trying to sort out what he really wanted to say. He had never been this human, never been this normal! If Sumeragi was there, she would never let him hear the end of it. 

“I’m just--just trying to prioritize what I think would do the most to help first.” He had to attempt to stay composed, but…

There was something so strange about this. Setsuna hadn’t felt human even when he was human. This was something that Saji would go through. But Euphemia’s hand was on his shoulder and Suzaku’s was on the small of his back and he was practically glowing red with how flustered he was. They had to be doing this on purpose. It had to be! He could feel their presence and their touch and finally he let out a heavy breath and pulled the folder up to his face so no one could see how he was practically radiant with how hard he was blushing. The lights overhead even flickered in response. 

They were kind. They were kind, and warm, and Setsuna could barely remember the last time he had been surrounded by this. Was it when he was a child? When he had grown comfortable with Celestial Being? 

He didn’t know, but even with the teasing, the touches, the words, he felt so… 

“Setsuna, are you okay?”

Suzaku’s voice made him look up, and he realized there were large tears rolling down his face. He was okay, right? This was okay, he wasn’t in danger, he wasn’t sad, he wasn’t… 

He was overwhelmed. 

Setsuna put the folder down and nodded, raising his arm to wipe his eyes. 

“I’m-- I’m alright, I just--” It was hard to get a word out, to be able to look at Euphemia without seeing Marina. To be close to Suzaku without wanting to just be held and told for once it was alright. 

He had caused so much death, so much turmoil and destruction. How did he deserve this? How did he deserve this happiness when he had slaughtered thousands of people just days prior? He didn’t have an answer. 

“Suzaku.” Euphemia motioned, and the two of them backed off. She reached out briefly, just gently touching Setsuna’s cheek, and he looked up at her.

_Marina…_

“We’ll give you some space. Do whatever you need to do, we’ll be here when you’re ready.” She spoke with a smile, and soon the two of them moved back to the table to sort over what Setsuna had proposed they focus on. 

With a deep breath, Setsuna vanished. Teleported from the room to the roof of the great manor to just sit and weep. Sob like a child. This was miserable, wretched and vile. He spent two hours up there, under the sunlight, struggling to settle himself. It was many deep breaths and trying to beat down the knot in his throat before he managed to do so. At least no one would see him, no one would be able to find him. 

He closed his eyes, reaching out across the numerous networks and voices, and he found who he was looking for. 

It was easy enough to forge a number, he was already going to just be listening in through the phone. 

A message popped up, and a certain green-haired ‘witch’ let out a dry laugh. 

He got a response, and he chuckled to himself. 

[Glad to see you’re still kicking you shiny bastard.] 

He smiled, standing. 

[You can’t get rid of me that easily. When things settle down, I’ll meet with you.] 

Setsuna returned inside. He was fine, he was better. There was a lot of work to do, rebuilding, fixing what he destroyed. He would have to catch up.


	16. Hole In The Sky

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nightmares never fully fade. Thousands of years isn't enough to erase the trauma.

Setsuna _heard_ the rumbling in the dead of night. 

Something was coming. Something with a voice he couldn’t describe. He sat up, his breath hitching in his throat as he slid out of bed. His feet never touched the floor, floating around the room in a fairly erratic manner simply trying to get his breathing under control. He had to breathe. Had to settle himself. There was some great, ethereal voice in the nothingness and he had to just breathe. 

Drifting to the window, Setsuna looked out at the midnight sky. He couldn’t see it, but he knew something was there. No lights but the stars, and no great shadow from a battleship. He could feel the anxiety rising in him, something just felt wrong. He turned away, drawing the curtains and moving into the bathroom. It took a second to start running water, and he was under it as soon as it was warm. His hands pressed against the tile, his head lowered and letting water just run over him. 

He needed to calm himself. 

Setsuna took heavy breaths, in and out, over and over. 

_It’s been thousands of years._ He told himself. _You still aren’t used to these machines. It might just be nothing. You’re panicking over nothing._

It didn’t feel like nothing, but his own thoughts were turning on him. He didn’t know what was right, not at this moment. He didn’t know how to talk himself down. Neil wasn’t here. Neil was dead. Saji was long gone. The Exia was hidden away. There was nothing here to just console him, and he had never felt like such a weak child in so long. He was supposed to be better than this, but here he was - shivering under a showerhead in an attempt to calm his own shuddering nerves. 

_Stop it. Stop. You’re fine._ Setsuna tried to force himself through, the same way he would so long ago. There was nothing that could harm him, not right now. 

And still his hands were shaking. 

And his vision was starting to blur in and out. 

_You’re panicking._

He knew it as soon as the thoughts entered his mind and yet he couldn’t stop. What if the sounds he had heard were those machines? What if they were something worse? What if he had been wrong, that they had failed worse than ever, and some great evil was coming across the stars to destroy everything? What if he couldn’t do anything to save them? 

The cycle of terrified thoughts hit him so hard that his knees thudded against the floor. He couldn’t stop shaking. There were no lights on to flicker, nothing but himself huddled in the dark, under running water. He couldn’t breathe. He couldn’t think. He couldn’t focus he couldn’t move he couldn’t --

The water was cold by the time he finally pulled himself up to turn off the spray. He was still shaking as he towelled off and dropped onto his bed. 

The sun was peeking over the horizon, and Setsuna fell into a terrible, nightmarish sleep.


	17. Casual Diplomacy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The plan moves forwards. Restoration must continue, no matter what.

He trusted Euphemia. 

Setsuna repeated that to himself over and over as his feet finally lowered to the ground. He trusted her the same way he had trusted Marina, and even as repairs were underway due to his recommendations, he still felt uneasy. That was probably putting it lightly, but it only took one glance to realize that he and Suzaku both shared a look of skepticism and concern. Well, it was likely less concern and more the same sort of animalistic tension that rippled through watchdogs when a great storm was about to break. 

And the tension in the air was not going away anytime soon, not with the presence beyond the door. 

Setsuna had, in his time, done his research. He knew that Charles had multiple children, and he had met all of one of them. But today he was going to meet the eldest son, and though Euphemia insisted that this would be fine, he couldn’t help but feel as though he was going to see Ribbons Almark walk through those doors. 

He trusted Euphemia. 

He had to repeat that as the doors swung open, and a man he had only seen in pictures made his entrance. Not with the sort of ceremony that the Innovator expected, there was no grand trumpeting and waving his status. He and Euphemia were on similar enough standing that there was no need for it, right? Setsuna had been around enough royalty to know, or at least to be able to think he knew. 

“Thank you for agreeing to see me on such short notice, Euphemia.” 

“You caught us at a good time, Schneizel. Restoration has already begun, I can spare time to host you properly.”

Schneizel el Britannia. The name that Setsuna only knew from databases and news articles, finally before him. And he was not going to admit that it felt less like meeting Ribbons in person and more like standing in front of some monstrous wolf, but he definitely felt as though the man was waiting for something. Even though his smile was charming, Setsuna felt uneasy. 

Those eyes met his own, and he did not move. 

It was hardly the same sort of tension that he felt when standing before Charles, but Setsuna felt some sort of anxiety rising in the pit of his stomach. 

“There is no mistaking it, you must be the one that has the country still up in arms. Fear not, I’m not here to throw you to the wolves, nor am I here to turn you over to the Knights of the Round. No one knows you are here but us, and I am not about to jeopardize that.” The blond man said, finally extending his hand in what Setsuna was sure was definitely out of his station. 

But he shook it anyways, though he wasn’t sure if it was out of politeness or habit. The contact seemed to warm him slightly. This was tangible. This was not some nightmare he was having. 

“I am--”

“Schneizel el Britannia. Prime Minister of the Holy Britannian Empire, also known as the White Prince, and second prince of the imperial family.” 

Setsuna’s response was automatic, their eyes never breaking. Schneizel did not look upset at this. There was a pleasant sort of surprise on his face, a slight raising of his eyebrows that someone so clearly alien to this would would be so well-read. But Setsuna was not going to approach this with arrogance. 

“I had a lot to catch up on, it is nice to be able to put a real person to the name and still photos.” Setsuna replied politely, starting to feel some sort of relief. This person didn’t seem to be anything like his mind had build him to be, and part of Setsuna thought that he was simply still on edge after the panic attack the previous night. 

“Likewise, though I don’t think your name has ever been released, has it? I am aware that to Britannia, and the Japanese, you were listed as a ‘Soran al-Saachez.” 

Setsuna saw Suzaku flinch at the name. 

“My name, my real name, is Setsuna F. Seiei.” 

That was met with some small amount of surprise from the prince, and there were a few seconds of silence before everything seemed to catch up to the rest of him. Obviously, he was not expect such a Japanese name from someone who was so visibly not Japanese. Even with the silver skin, Setsuna’s features were decidedly not similar to Suzaku’s or Euphemia’s. Still, if Setsuna were to guess, things were still going as well as he could have expected. His standards had gotten fairly low. 

“Then it is an honor to meet you properly, Setsuna F. Seiei.”

The day ticked on, moving from proper greetings to the restoration project. Euphemia wasted no time in explaining the method to their particular madness, that repair projects had been picked mostly if not entirely by Setsuna. His unfortunate expertise in knowing how to rebuild countries and cities was more than helpful, having marked out what was a priority and what could wait. So far, even in the short days that had come with his return, bridges were rebuilt, food banks had been set up and supplies had been given out, and there would be a start on the residential buildings that had been destroyed in only a few short days. 

Setsuna did not feel any particular pride as this was explained, occasionally glancing over at Suzaku, who did not seem to be pleased at all. His homeland had been decimated by this country, and then by the same person he had fallen for, and it was a wonder that he didn’t just start stabbing everyone who came into arm’s reach. Setsuna would not have put it past him, which definitely would have made most missions much more interesting. Even though his memories were still foggy, muddling when he tried to remember exactly what was real, what about whatever they had was real, Setsuna did have the clarity to know that Suzaku was every bit as dangerous as he looked, if not more. 

He watched and listened to the two Britannian royals going over the various plans and proposals, occasionally glancing over at Suzaku. Stoic and still, watching over his princess. 

Setsuna knew the feeling all too well. 

“Setsuna.”

Attention snapped back to Schneizel, who had a few photos of the current restoration spread out. 

“I’m curious to know your reasoning for focusing on the structural repairs first, rather than the needs of the people.” The question was innocent enough, and Setsuna moved a little closer to the table. 

There was a lot to explain. 

“When I was human, my homeland was completely decimated by warfare. I have seen many cities burn and be destroyed, and a lot of restoration efforts divert attention to things that will fix things in the short term, but when resources run out, everything to be fixed in the long term get shuffled aside.” He moved one or two of the photos around, focusing his attention on them rather than the prince. “The people have various programs and resources set up by Princess Euphemia, but if we went through and only fixed the buildings in the quickest way, then they will fall apart at the first sign of stress.” 

Setsuna had seen it, far too many times before. 

“By focusing on restoring the roads and foundations, and then the buildings and other structures, you ensure that things will last. And it is easier to gain support from politicians if you frame it as though people still need help while their homes are being rebuilt.” Setsuna was not a politician, but he had worked with them extensively. 

He had stood before enough councils and enough people wondering ‘why’ they have to care about these poor folk, argued so hard for their restoration, the continued support. He had been before far too many ‘elites’ just pleading for the basic dignity of wounded people. 

His answer, however, seemed to satisfy the second prince. 

“Fair enough. I’ve never seen it done in that way, though I assume with your longevity and how much you have experienced, you have much to teach us.” The blond commented with a small nod. 

It was refreshing, really, to have people on his side. Did he even really have a side? He was against the Emperor and his plan, against the mistreatment of people in such ways, but he was absolutely a hypocrite wasn’t he? 

That evening, Setsuna sat on the edge of the balcony, his feet dangling idly as he stared out at the lights of a city he had both partially destroyed and now tried to restore. Was there really anything that could be done? He had not gone out to see them, to show his face before the people, but he listened. There was enough out there, yelling for his head, demanding that he pay for what he did. Setsuna didn’t know what he could do. He had been in this position once before, hadn’t he? The Thrones had destroyed Louise’s life… 

But what was happening to him? What was going to happen? Things would be fixed, he would be able to repair the damage but not the lives of those he had just slaughtered. He couldn’t bring people back from the dead. 

“Excuse me--”

Schneizel’s voice caused him to jump, and there was a brief moment of horror on the prince’s face when Setsuna actually fell from the edge of the balcony. It only took him a second to catch himself, righting his flight and returning to view. He landed, feet on the stone in front of the blond prince, and he took a little bit of joy at seeing the look of surprise and minor shock on Schneizel’s face. Apparently he had not been briefed entirely. 

“Are you alright?” Schneizel asked, slowly returning to some semblance of normal at realizing that Setsuna was not falling to his death. 

“Yes, you just startled me, that’s all.” Setsuna replied with a nod. 

The awkward silence that filtered in after that passed mercifully quickly. 

“My sister explained to me what happened to you, with Zero using his power to manipulate you, and with our father rewriting your memories in his favor.” He stepped past Setsuna, placing his hands on the stone ledge to look out at the evening lights. 

Setsuna felt his stomach turn, and he slowly stepped up alongside the prince, listening to him in total silence. 

“Britannia has a sparse dossier on what you are and what you have done, and I have spent longer than I should have reading and rereading it. I know you saved people in various cities, fleeing before you could be tracked and found out, and you went before the Emperor when you could not hide anymore. You attacked him, and I cannot say that I blame you in the slightest. The Knight of One pursued you, and noted that you never harmed any of his men. You made a point to simply shut down those machines, and ensured that no one was ever hurt.” 

Hearing these all read back to him, it felt like it was so long ago. As if he had been out of time for another year, but it had all been in weeks, months maybe. Setsuna shifted his weight lightly. This would be okay. 

“There are notes, extensive reports on those metallic crystals you formed when you were being controlled, when you were murdering the Japanese.” 

Setsuna flinched. 

“I know how the Empire works. I know there is extensive research being done on your abilities, on those crystal spires. It’s a material no one has ever seen before, and there is pressure being put on various groups to weaponize it. To make a powerful enough force that no one would be able to stand against my father’s grand plan.”

Setsuna felt his insides just hollow out and twist. His hands shook, and his mind started to race. He would have to find a way to delete the information, destroy those samples, do anything. This civilization was not ready for something like this. 

Schneizel’s hand on his shoulder seemed to stop his frantic thoughts, to ground him back in reality. 

“You are a being beyond what we could have even considered finding in our lifetime. I understand that you want us to just develop as naturally as possible, but that time has passed. You don’t want to see whatever secrets you hold used for war, or for conflict, and that is why I want to propose an alternate plan.” 

Setsuna slowly turned, looking up at the prince. His heart hammered in his chest, and he wasn’t sure if he was afraid or if he was expecting some terrible sort of reveal coming his way. 

“My goal is the same as yours, Setsuna, the eradication of conflict.”


	18. Downpour

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everything is about to change.

Setsuna stood before the map on the wall, his eyes glowing brightly as thunder rumbled outside. 

_The eradication of conflict._

He had repeated Schneizel’s words over and over in his head. He wanted to believe it, so badly. And he did, in some part. He believed that the prince genuinely wanted to drive peace through, to undo whatever plan that the Emperor was massing for. He needed time to think on it, that was what he had told Schneizel, and here the Innovator was, just staring at a map while rain threatened to fall outside. There was so much that he could do, and there was some part of the idle chatter from Euphemia and Suzaku that was right. He could take over the entire world, he could just grab every single system and weapon and force peace upon the world.

But that would solve nothing, and he would be nothing more than a tyrant. That was not who he was. It scared him to think that he could be. He could have genuinely given in to the sort of hate and anger that Ali stoked in him and become that. 

It made him shudder, and thunder rattled the glass. 

Schneizel had given him a location, a place to show up. To just do one operation, to try one mission and see if it fit, if he saw value in this sort of plan. Part of it made his stomach turn. He did not want to be a military tool, but he wanted to see how this ‘Sword of Damocles’ operated. Schneizel made it sound not unlike Celestial Being…

His stomach rolled, and he turned away from the map. Another rumble of thunder shook the building, and the sky opened up to rain. Setsuna moved from the room, down to a less traveled balcony. He opened the glass doors, stepping out into the rain and the cold. He needed to just sort out his thoughts. There was no Sumeragi to give him guidance. Tieria was long dead, there were no resurrections. He was sure that Veda was long gone, and he wasn’t sure if he would even access Veda right now even if he could. He was feeling lost, there was no good way to fix that. 

Keeping him away from the world was probably a good choice for now, but it didn’t help him find what his role should be in the here and now. He could just run back to the hangar, he could just go, disappear and be that way for years. Humanity was never going to be ready for him, he had already learned that. The cat was already out of the bag, he couldn’t just pretend he never existed. Humanity knew about him. They couldn’t un-learn his existence. 

And then someone grabbed the back of his collar and dragged him inside. 

“You stupid asshole, you’re going to get sick.”

Suzaku. 

Soaking wet and now standing on the polished marble floor, Setsuna stared, bewildered, at the young man. 

“You… you do know people don’t catch colds from standing in the rain, right?” Setsuna asked, his gold eyes blinking. Suzaku’s eyes narrowed, his arms folded with the most bitter expression that Setsuna had ever seen. 

“You’re going, aren’t you? You’ll head out with Schneizel’s little operation tomorrow, and abandoning all of this.” 

The venom in his words was clear as the storm overhead. Door open, rain still coming in, washing over the two of them. Setsuna had no reason to lie to him, but he did not answer immediately. He was going, wasn’t he? He was just running away from one problem, like he had done before. 

Suzaku was not that patient. 

His hands grasped the cold clothes, and he shoved Setsuna against the wall, holding him there. Aware, very aware, that Setsuna could kill him if he really wanted. 

“You’re running away, because if you run the fuck off you don’t have to help anymore, and then it’s not your problem. You murdered thousands of people, of _my people_ and now you have the fucking _audacity_ to run away!” 

His anger was punctuated by a flash of lightning, and the building shook with how loud the following thunder was. But Setsuna couldn’t find a good reason to respond. Nothing he could say would be right. He would be wrong, he was running away, to some initiative to do what he had done when he was with Celestial Being. No amount of buildings and bridges fixed under the cover of night were going to do anything to fix how he looked in the eyes of the people. He was a monster, and he would always be until some noble knight killed him. 

“Suzaku--”

“You just think you can fuck off and leave everyone else to pick up your goddamn mess! Let me guess, that’s what you did back when you were human too, when you were with that ‘Celestial Being’ organization! You just showed up, fucked things up, and left, didn’t you!?” 

Anger welled in him. 

_”ENOUGH!”_

Setsuna grabbed Suzaku’s arms, and in the blink of an eye they were gone. 

The rain was gone, the thunder was so far away. 

When they reappeared, the lights of the hangar were off, leaving only the faint glow from one of the control rooms. Setsuna landed, letting go of Suzaku. The young man reeled, hitting his knees and dry heaving. Teleportation. That was pure science fiction -- but here he was. Wait… where was… 

“I told you that I woke up alone. Everyone I knew dead and gone, had been for thousands of years. I was… not entirely right. Get up.” Setsuna’s voice was cold, his eyes glowing brightly. 

He snapped his fingers, and there were loud sounds as lights started to come on. 

Suzaku’s eyes went wide and his jaw dropped, looking up at massive, pristine mobile suits. Bigger than Knightmare frames. Stronger too. A completely different make and design. They would decimate anything. Suzaku’s mind was clearly racing, his heart hammering in his chest as Setsuna stepped away from him. 

“Wake up, we have a guest.” 

There were deep groans echoing through the massive hangar, and Suzaku swore that he could see the eyes on each suit light up. Were they moving? Were they alive? 

“You… what are these…?” Suzaku finally sputtered out when he pushed himself to his feet. 

“Gundams. All of the surviving ones we were able to hide away. Exia,Harute, Raphael, Zabanya, Quanta, Double-O Raiser, and the Dynames. They are all real.” Setsuna said as he walked, slowly along the line of these massive machines.

Suzaku’s footsteps were quick behind. 

“You… you have these? You could decimate the entire Britannian army with these! My country could be _free_ with just one of these!? Why the hell are you keeping them here!?” 

The anger was understandable, and powerful. Full of fire and flame, and Setsuna could see - briefly - Neil. That thirst for revenge on Ali. The drive, the terrible choices, not letting anyone save him… 

The sound of a slap echoed through the hangar, and Setsuna’s eyes narrowed. 

“If I showed up with even one of these, how long would it be before war reignited? Before Britannia rallies more and more forces, before the Japanese are further conscripted to die in the face of this nightmarish machine? And if I lost, how long until the emperor had this reverse-engineered, and the world was destroyed?” He had never been so cold, not lately. But the way he moved, the way he held himself, Suzaku could have sworn he was an entirely different person. A soldier. A military commander. 

And Setsuna was not done. 

“If even Princess Euphemia knew about this, how long until someone else found out? How long until people hunt for this location?” 

“Then why did you bring me here?!” 

Suzaku felt his feet move where the rest of him wouldn’t backing up as Setsuna advanced. Back, back, retreating until he was backed up against the cold metal of this… machine. The Exia, it had been called. And this beast of a machine groaned low. 

“I brought you here because I trust you.” 

There was nothing else to say.


	19. Between The Moon And Stars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Setsuna finds himself doing 'odd jobs' for the Second Prince. Unrest is growing. Thunder is building.

Setsuna felt…

…out of place. 

He was back under the Emperor’s nose it seemed. Schneizel had insisted, and they had to keep him as far out of the public eye, or any eye, as possible. It lead to many days sitting indoors, having quiet meetings where no one would see them, and Setsuna resuming a very tired sort of lifestyle. It reminded him very much of when he had first awakened to this world. Out of sight, out of mind. 

He had very few conditions for working for the Prime Minister. A proper phone (and he had been very clear that if anyone was listening in, he would end them), a safe place to rest, clean water, sunlight, and to not be used as a weapon. So far it all had been fine. Setsuna was not used to this. He’d been given actual clothes as well, dressing him more like a Britannian noble than the more humble desert child that he really was. He could almost hear the teasing that Lockon would come up with, dressed in dark blues and golds like some imperial, angelic being. 

That said, Schneizel had given him what he had asked for. 

A phone seemed like a simple request, but there was someone in particular that Setsuna needed to keep in contact with, and it was easier if he had a private way to just ping towers and find where she was. For now, they at least decided it was easiest if they did not try to meet in person. 

He hadn’t done much, it seemed. Most of Setsuna’s existence had been just keeping out of sight during the day, and the nights were when he contacted the witch. They had a lot to catch up over. 

It was midnight under a waning moon, with him atop a radio tower in probably the most dramatic way possible, but it gave him privacy. 

Ringing. 

Ringing. 

Ringing…

“Right on time, Setsuna.” 

He chuckled a little. 

“You know, I am touched that you keep staying up late for me, C.C.” He replied, leaning back against the empty space. He was just happy to hear a familiar voice, finally. 

“So, what’s your plan then? You’re under the Prime Minister’s supposed command, and you’ve gotten the restoration of Japan underway. So far so good, yes?” 

Setsuna shrugged, aware that C.C. could not actually hear that. 

“Right now, I’m just trying to see how to repair the damage I did. Schneizel spoke about some plan to bring peace and reformation to the world, but he hasn’t told me exactly what it is. I can’t get near the Emperor again, so this is probably my best bet.” 

There was a brief silence between them, aware that there was no perfect solution right now. Setsuna would just have to play along, and see where the plan really was going. 

“You know… you could always find the Black Knights. They’re not Celestial Being by any means, but…”

Setsuna sighed. 

“I don’t know if I can handle another faction. I know I will have to, but…” 

“But right now, you’re in a good position to actually change the Empire, right?” 

At least they both understood. Setsuna knew that C.C. was able to be more level-headed than himself. That they both had similar goals, and he could trust her. She could trust him. They needed to cling to that sometimes. 

“I need to find out what his plan is, what it really is.” Setsuna finally said. 

C.C. was quiet for a few moments. 

“You might not have heard this much lately, Setsuna, but you’re doing fine. The hangar is still safe, you’re still safe, no one is going to be able to take that away. Even after what happened… Just keep at it.” 

Setsuna chuckled a little bit. 

“If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were being unusually supportive, old friend.” 

“Maybe I am, old friend.” 

There was nothing more to say, and Setsuna returned to his room. Private, moonlight pouring in. He greeted the day with what had become his usual routine. Sunlight. Water. And… nothing. There was nothing for him to do it seemed, Schneizel had nothing for him. It ended up with Setsuna just spending his days doing nothing, just listening over airwaves and private communications, everything he could reach. 

That day, however, there was a knock at his door. 

Schnezel’s… aid? Partner? Kanon was there, with an armful of what looked like laptops and tablets. 

“I’m sorry to bother you, Setsuna, but we ran into a problem, and this seems to be something up your alley.” He said politely, moving over to the desk and gently setting everything down. 

It looked like half a dozen machines, of varying sorts of disrepair. Setsuna had seen worse, but he was curious as to why they had been brought to him. 

“Prince Schneizel thought that maybe, with your abilities, you could help pull information from these? They were confiscated from a terrorist hideout, and he hopes that you could help. Anything you find would help us immensely.” 

Well, that was at least something he could do. 

Setsuna was given a separate tablet to transfer everything to, like some odd terminal he was. At least it was something to do, and when he was alone he was able to sit and work. Machines weren’t always eager to speak to newcomers, but he found the process fairly simple. Passwords, security, it was nothing to him. 

He didn’t particularly find anything he thought was interesting, but he was not coordinating anything. 

It took him two days, and he was able to return the now empty machines. More were handed to him. 

Perhaps this was all he was needed for. 

It was on the 2nd week of data pulling that Kanon came to him again, this time with a camera. 

He was given sets of coordinates. Hideouts, he was told. Places that their machines couldn’t fly over without being shot at. Setsuna, of course, was one silver streak across the sky, no one would see him. 

And no one did see him.


	20. Rock, Paper, Scissors

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> No matter what you choose, you're going to live it.

Days bled into weeks. 

Hack machines. Fly over locations. 

Setsuna was feeling like a glorified drone, standing across from Schneizel as he looked over the piles of information and photos that had been gathered. 

“You’ve done a great service to us. We’ve been able to neutralize smaller cells and resistance groups thanks to you, but this next operation…”

Setsuna was not an idiot, his stomach twisted though. He knew that there was always an ulterior motive. There was always something he could have done better, correct? What was he going to do next? 

“We’ve found an underground hangar, from before our time. I believe the current theory is that the technology is from your time.” 

His eyes widened. No. No no, they weren’t ready for this. They couldn’t handle some of those older technologies, especially if they were weapons of war. 

“Troops will go in, and our researchers will follow to study what is inside, and replicate any technology for use against the Black Knights.” 

“You can’t do that.” 

The blond prince stopped, looking at Setsuna in mild surprise. Setsuna had not spoken out like this, and he had to now. 

“You know what is in there, don’t you?” He asked, slowly straightening up. 

“Yes. You can’t go there. You have to forget about it. Bury it. You aren’t ready for it. You and your people… you can’t go there. You can’t use it.” Setsuna stepped forwards, his insides shuddering with anxiety. 

Schneizel slowly stepped around the table, and Setsuna felt like he should be running. Fleeing. Warning C.C.. Warning Suzaku. Protecting them. 

“What is in the hangar, Setsuna F. Seiei?” 

Schneizel loomed over him, and Setsuna stepped back. Backing up. Running. Retreating until he hit the wall behind him. Even if he ran, the Empire would run after him again. He would never be free, and never be allowed to rest. 

“It’s--”

“My lord!” 

Saved. Briefly. By Kanon bursting in. 

“The Knight of One is here. We have to hide him, he’s looking for Setsuna.” 

Oh no. 

There was a shuffle, a scramble and Setsuna was essentially shoved into a broom closet, the door cracked just enough for him to listen and watch what nightmare was about to fall upon them. Setsuna held his breath, seeing the familiar, towering visage of Bismarck enter the room. He knew the Knight of One was not an idiot, he wouldn’t be here on a hunch. 

And Schneizel was in top form. 

“To what do we the owe the pleasure, Sir Knight?” The tension in the room built, and there was no stopping it. 

“The Emperor has heard of your… discoveries. I have been sent to oversee your plans and your course of action, to ensure it does not _conflict_ with His Majesty’s interests.” Bismarck’s eye traced around the room, and there was a silent sort of command to his presence. 

Setsuna was sure he knew. Could he just… signal to him, somehow? 

“For how long?” Schneizel was probing, to determine how much he would be able to get away with. 

“For as long as it takes. Or until you tell me the location of Setsuna F. Seiei.” 

There was a rattle, and the door of the storage space slowly swung open. It was empty. 

Across the world, Suzaku felt his phone buzz. 

[text: Suzaku] Run. -SFS


	21. Celestial Damocles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'll make it all burn until nothing remains.

When the Prime Minister and the Knight of One said you had to come with them, you went with them.

That didn’t keep Suzaku’s stomach from twisting into knots. There were no explanations, and Suzaku knew when to keep his mouth shut most of the time. This was one of those times, especially with the apparent airship cavalry that was moving towards an incredibly remote patch of mountain and woodlands and--

\--was this where the hangar that Setsuna showed him was?

His face paled as he realized this, and it seemed like he was the last one to figure it out. 

Inside the mountain, Setsuna had fortified as best he could. He could see Schneizel’s approach, and he could not keep this a secret for much longer. They were upon him. 

There was a ping over the com systems, and he gave his only warning. 

“Turn back, erase these coordinates.” Setsuna’s voice was cold. “This is your only warning.”

Deep down, he knew there was no stopping them. Britannia did not pause, and he knew Schneizel’s ambition was as dangerous as anything he had come across before. He had Suzaku, and he would probably kill him just to deal with the Innovator. Setsuna felt a tightness in his chest. He had to plan for this, and he had no time to do so. There was nothing he could do but wait. 

And he knew the response would only be gunfire. There was no peaceful resolution to this. 

He looked at the machines, and the Exia’s eyes lit up. 

_I am ready._

“Shh…” He murmured.

The response was coming, and Schneizel was not stopping. 

“You know exactly how this will turn out, Setsuna F. Seiei.” The voice echoed in the hangar, and Setsuna’s hands curled into fists. “There is no peaceful resolution, open the doors.” 

Suzaku had to be there just to be some sort of terrible bargaining chip. Setsuna was not someone with a grand plan. He wasn’t going to be able to outsmart Schneizel to negotiate a peaceful outcome. And the fact that he had Bismarck with him… There was no good that would come from this, and he was going to have to play as violent and as dirty as possible. This was going to make the worst parts of him very proud. There was a rumble from the machines, and he moved up the stairs. 

The door opened. The hangar opened. 

And he waited. 

Airships landed. Frames landed. Everything was ready and he was not going to like himself when this was over. He was going to let Schneizel see things, and destroy it all. It was not something he would be proud of, and not something he looked forwards to. He waited, soldiers and the prince himself coming into view, with Suzaku and Bismarck not far from him. He was certain there were multiple guns pointed at the young man, and he would not let this happen. Setsuna was determined now. There was no way to do this without bloodshed. 

Setsuna said nothing, motioning. He took them inside, down into the depths of this hangar. The lights were on, the massive machines were there, waiting. 

“Machines from your time… so that is what you were hiding.” Schneizel said with a dark tone, and he motioned to his men. They moved forwards, weaving around Setsuna to begin securing the scene, and the Innovator’s eyes glowed with anger. 

What was active, what was listening… He had to motion to Suzaku, somehow, to tell him, warn him - _something_. And if this ended in Setsuna himself getting shot again, then so be it. The Exia’s eyes were lit, bright green and awake. She was not moving, not yet. But they were all awake, and Setsuna didn’t know what he would need, what he would have to do. The Exia was ready, and he needed to just buy enough time to--

“And what are you keeping behind that door, Setsuna F. Seiei?” 

His heart stopped. 

The far wall of the hangar was a door, one that he had kept hidden. What lay behind that should never be awoken, and he had tried his best to keep it that way. Schneizel was not an idiot, and his men were not as stupid as they looked. They had realized it was hollow. Setsuna felt his anxiety skyrocket, and it was clear on his face. He could handle the Exia being discovered, but whatever lay beyond that door was worse. And that meant it was more powerful than ever. 

A gun was jammed against his ribs, and he was herded towards the door. 

“Prince Schneizel, I believe there is enough here. We do not need to open that door now.” Bismarck spoke up. 

For a man who had hunted Setsuna for so long, they had gotten to know one another fairly well. And training ‘Soran’ into the terrible weapon he was… he knew that Setsuna was many things. These machines were greater than any other Knightmare Frame that had been developed, and there was no need to force the last vestiges of secrets and security from the Innovator. This was enough. Apparently he had underestimated the blond man’s greed, and Bismarck took a step to put himself between the firing line and Suzaku. 

They would need it. 

The prince snorted dismissively. He had showed one card, it was time to go for the kill. 

“Open the door, Setsuna.” 

Setsuna’s hands were shaking, and he could feel it stirring behind the door. _She_ was waking up. 

“No. No, you can’t handle what is beyond. She has to stay sleeping, because if you let that out, there’s no Knightmare that will be able to stop it.” Setsuna pleaded, his back to the door as he tried to hold off this tide. He wasn’t even sure he would be able to put that machine back after she’d woken fully, and Schneizel was going to only make this worse.

That obviously was not the answer that Schneizel was looking forwards to, as he motioned once and one of the soldiers opened fire. The steel door was splattered with a metallic red, and Setsuna gripped his arm. It was like so long ago… With Ribbons… 

The Exia groaned, and Setsuna had to force her to still. They couldn’t find out. 

But something from beyond the door rumbled, a low, monstrous sort of mechanical noise that sounded like some terrible sound of the deep. Some horrific noise.

“Open the door.”

If he didn’t, would they turn the gun on Suzaku next? Would they put one between his eyes? Execute him like a dog? 

And if it didn’t stop… if it didn’t stop, the entire world would suffer. They weren’t ready for this. They couldn’t be ready for this. He would have to do this. He would have to make sure that none of this made it beyond the hangar. 

He was going to have to wake the beast. 

Setsuna’s eyes met Suzaku’s, and he made a slight motion with his head as the forced the doors to open. 

The low groan grew louder, and the light crawled across the form of a black and red machine. Shaped like the Exia. With the face of the Exia. But this was a devil, a monster masquerading as the only girl he ever needed. Built to hunt Setsuna specifically, from a humanity long ago who had forgotten him, and it was this beast that he locked away. She was wrong. She was twisted. And her eyes were glowing a bright, terrible red. 

The Dark Matter Exia was awake. 

“Go. Now. Or I’ll kill you.” Setsuna’s words were low and cold. He had to buy time, for himself, for Suzaku. 

If Suzaku could get into the Exia, maybe they could stop this. 

The black and red machine groaned, and as guns were raised on Setsuna again, there was a terrible sound of supports snapping and breaking as one great hand reached out. Her cockpit opened, and Setsuna was grabbed by this monstrous, twisted machine. He was thrown into the cockpit, and disappeared. The Dark Matter Exia was awake, aware, and these _intruders_ were trying to take what was _rightfully hers_. 

It was then that Schneizel realized he had made a mistake. 

He yelled orders, scrambling to get his troops to retreat, to mobilize the waiting frames outside. Suzaku took the opportunity and bolted, rushing up the steps and catwalk to the blue and white machine. The Exia. He had only heard Setsuna talk about her, and he was going to have to apologize later for this. The Lancelot was never going to have a chance against that black and red beast. He threw himself into the cockpit, and it closed behind him as he dropped into the seat. 

The monitors flicked on, the systems started up. 

[THIS IS ONLY FOR HIM. NOT YOU.]

The words flashed on the main monitor, and Suzaku was very aware of his impending doom. He didn’t want to be here, he didn’t want to be doing _this_ but there was no other option. The other machine was already out of the hangar, firing on those poor idiots still inside. On the frames outside. There would be no stopping her all because of Schneizel’s insane greed, his pushes for this. But if it got out, if that thing left the area, what would become of Euphemia’s plan for peace? For her, for the people…

And would Setsuna even survive? 

Suzaku took the controls, and the machine rocketed out of the hangar to meet her copy. She was nothing like the Lancelot, or any Frame he had ever piloted. Every movement was effortless. He couldn’t spend time looking at the burning wreckage and try to count the dead, there was only that other machine. Was this what Setsuna talked about when he went on about feeling the voice of the machine? Were his machines all made this way, to function as if he and the weapon were one? 

The Exia surged after her counterpart, and it took half a second for blades to clash. Suzaku couldn’t lose. He could feel it, the curse that Zero had shoved on him, like lightning in his veins as a red ring glowed in his eyes. He had to survive, he had to live. 

But Setsuna… he’d never seen a pilot like Setsuna. And he had never fought a pilot like Setsuna. How was he going to challenge a perfect weapon like him? 

Was LIVE strong enough to stop a perfect, immortal war machine?

Suzaku did not get a lot of time to think about that. His mind was flashes of being cognizant of his reality, and a blur of his body moving to keep him alive. Exia and Dark Matter clashed, over and over striking one another with such force and ferocity that surely Suzaku was hurting, but he felt nothing. Getting thrown around the cockpit was minor in comparison to not getting killed. But he wasn’t making progress. This machine was faster, stronger, and he wasn’t sure if he was just stalling the inevitable. 

Schneizel’s army was dead. Maybe he was dead too, crunched under the force of this monstrous beast. There was no one coming to save him, no one was going to be able to stop this thing, not unless he did it himself. 

“Go right!”

His hands jerked the controls instinctively, and the monstrous machine missed him entirely. Another machine - blue and white, like the Exia, but… greater - struck the Dark Matter with such force that Suzaku was certain that Setsuna, if he was even alive inside, was going to have a concussion. It looked like the Exia, with broader shoulders, and some sort of attachment that Suzaku could have called wings in some other context. There was half a second where time seemed to slow, and the other machine shot off after the Dark Matter Exia, leaving a distinct double-O behind it. 

“Come, we have to tear this machine apart, it won’t stop otherwise!” 

Bismarck. Bismarck was in that other machine.

Suzaku would question it later. They had to stop this monster. Here and now. Whatever bullshit magic Bismarck was using to move with such speed and force around the Dark Matter Exia, Suzaku didn’t know and right now didn’t care to know. Calling out actions, commanding every move, he wasn’t going to debate it as he felt the Exia’s sword cleave through parts of her counterpart. 

But then the black and red machine glowed, a bright and terrifying red. Then it vanished. Tearing across the sky, Suzaku could only see after-images. He was struck, the Exia careening out of the sky, battered back and forth by a machine that he couldn’t even track. How was he supposed to see this?! Bismarck didn’t seem to be able to keep track of it either, the tide rapidly turning on them. To end them. To consume them. 

This machine was a monster.

[A C T I V A T E]

Something flashed on the screen, words that Suzaku didn’t know, but the shout rose in his throat. 

“TRANS-AM!” 

The Exia glowed a furious, angry red, and Suzaku pushed. He heard a similar sound over the coms, Bismarck following. The three machines moved faster than he should ever have been, his body feeling the strain as they struck, over and over. Tearing into this monstrous machine until the glowing faded, and the black-and-red Exia crashed to the ground. The other two landed soon after.

Suzaku wasn’t sure if he had ever run that fast, matched only by Bismarck. They didn’t need to say it, climbing on the wreckage. Bismarck’s fingers jammed into the seam of the cockpit doors, and as soon as he had an inch, the two of them pulled until they opened, and they were able to look upon the horror within. 

Setsuna was lying in the cockpit, blood splattered across the controls. His clothes were torn. Wires, tubes of a clear liquid that one could guess were painkillers, things were plugged into his skin, digging deep under the surface onto his nerves, his bloodstream. This thing was going to keep him, wired him into its systems to make him a monster. And he had been, because Schneizel had pushed this thing to open. Suzaku and Bismarck stared at the scene with tight lips and twisted stomachs before they simply nodded to each other. 

And briefly, Suzaku was sure he saw the Knight of One’s left eye.


	22. Uneternal Sleep

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Britannia will not allow this sort of slaughter to happen ever again.

It was hours before Setsuna started to come to. 

Everything felt foggy, hazy. He heard the beeping of machines, and while his vision was still blurry, he knew he was in a hospital. He had seen that same sterile white enough in his life to know. 

He tried to sit up, to look around, but nothing moved. His eyes could look, his head would barely turn, but his arms - his limbs - would not respond. Not even a twitch of his fingers. Even the voices of the machines felt so far off, muddled and muffled in the fog that seemed to be extremely present in his head.He remembered the Dark Matter Exia. He remembered crunching Schneizel beneath her feet. 

And that was all he could remember. 

It was a mistake, one he had tried so hard to not repeat. He wasn’t sure he had a choice. But what had happened? He had been stopped, somehow. He had been pulled from that machine, somehow. That meant Suzaku had stopped him. That he had made the right choice. 

Through the haze in his mind, he could hear the heavy footfalls that could only be the Knight of One, and with what seemed to be an impossible amount of strength did he manage to turn his head, seeing the familiar - if blurry - man slowly move to his bedside. Despite the heaviness that seemed to be keeping him from moving, he could feel a rising anxiety in his chest. This… this wasn’t…

“It’s alright, Setsuna. Kururugi and I stopped that machine, and your secret is safe with us. The hangar has been closed again.” Bismarck took his hand, and Setsuna’s body never felt so heavy. He never felt so… 

He wasn’t sure if there was a word for it. Was he drugged? He just couldn’t move no matter how he tried. And it seemed that Bismarck knew, that he was not telling him. 

“But… this cannot happen again.” 

Setsuna felt his insides drop out. He couldn’t speak. He couldn’t do anything. His fingers managed to twitch against Bismarck’s hand, the effort seeming to take every bit of energy he had. Someone moved up alongside Bismarck, a familiar mess of brown hair… but a blue cloak, instead of Bismarck’s white… was that Suzaku…?

“Close your eyes, old friend. You’ve earned your rest.” 

Those were the last words Setsuna heard before the sedative overtook him, and he fell into nothingness. 

Suzaku stared down at him, not saying a word despite how Bismarck seemed to be so friendly with the silver creature. He was conflicted. His new station - given to him, bestowed upon him for delivering Setsuna back to the Empire - now afforded him the chance to change things, to properly do what he could to continue to help Euphemia’s plan. But part of it felt… tainted. Setsuna was too dangerous, those machines had confirmed it. 

And maybe part of him still did not forgive…

The two knights watched while Setsuna was carefully secured, his arms and legs bound up to prevent him from escaping. Oxygen mask, IV line, everything in place to secure him in a padded crate as if he were some fragile doll. The case was closed and locked, the code punched in. Everything was functioning, he would be kept locked away from the world for a long, long time. 

“You don’t seem happy about this.” 

It was definitely out of Suzaku’s station to say it, but as they watched the truck drive away, there was no one around to call him out on it. Bismarck did not look down at him. 

“It does not matter if I am or not. No country is ready for those machines, and if he had let himself be the enemy of the world, maybe we would have united.” Bismarck turned away. “But now, there is no sense in wondering about what if. What is done is done.”

Suzaku bit his lip, and shook his head. 

There was nothing more to say.


	23. Black Knights

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Setsuna finally meets the man behind the curtain...

The transport vehicle never made it to its destination.

It took only a small bribe for the driver to turn down a back road, away from the proper ways and to a hidden building, where men moved around with a frightening efficiency. The crate was pulled from the truck, and the truck abandoned along another road. They had their prize, and it was going to take a slow time waking the Innovator. 

The process itself took several hours. The code was broken on the lock, and slowly the crate was opened. The silver being inside was so sedated that he did not stir as he was removed, transferred from his padded prison to a makeshift cot, and the IV of drugs replaced with saline, slowly starting to bring him back to the waking world. Minutes ticked away, water flushing out sedative, his rolled eyes slowly drifting back to a blurry sort of awakening. He wasn’t going to be fighting empires anytime in the next day, but he was slowly coming around.

It was late in the evening when he finally stirred, groaning when the next saline bag ran dry. Those eyes fully opened, and he certainly did not recognize whatever room he was being kept in. 

“Good to see you, old friend.” 

He knew that voice. 

Dulled, gold eyes slowly settled on none other than C.C., and he smiled softly. No danger. No part of him about to be killed. The worst he was about to experience was probably some bitter snarking, and that was a welcome wound in this time. 

“You too, old friend.” Setsuna murmured, letting the IV be removed from his arm before he slowly forced himself upright. He needed clean water, and light wouldn’t hurt. It was probably going to be a while before he saw either, he’d just let it all pass. 

The witch smiled as warmly as he had ever seen her, though he hadn’t actually seen her face to face in about fifty-thousand years. At the very least. It was so good to see a friend, an actual friend. 

“I know you have questions, and I would answer them, but it would be much more exciting for you to come meet the one behind this all.” C.C. said with a sly grin, and Setsuna managed to pull himself off of the cot. 

His feet never touched the floor, conserving energy as he followed after the witch through what was clearly a hideout. It didn’t take him long to realize these were the so-called Black Knights that he had been inadvertently helping Schneizel suss out and hunt down. But the crown prince was very dead, so were his minions. Whatever plans he had, they would have to be put on hold indefinitely. The world was going to be seeking him and his blood again, and Setsuna had a feeling that he could live with that. Whatever comes…

C.C. knocked at a door, and pushed it open, and Setsuna’s insides immediately tightened.

Inside was him. Zero. The one who had given him _the order_. 

“Go, talk to him.” She insisted, closing the door once Setsuna had gotten inside. 

The silence between them was… uncomfortable. Setsuna was seething. 

Zero glanced around, making sure no one could see in, and that this was not being recorded. He then reached up, grasping his blank helmet and removing it. The Innovator felt his insides twist and then hollow out. He had read the Britannian archives. He knew that face. 

“I apologize for not gr---” 

Lelouch vi Britannia never got a chance to finish his sentence. Setsuna’s fist hit his face so hard that it sent the skinny noble flat against the desk, and the shiny demigod’s anger was enough to flicker power across the nearest city block. 

“You…! You made me murder them, all of them! You forced me to kill thousands of people, all because of your ill-timed _joke_ , wasn’t it?! You were grinning until you saw it happen, weren’t you!?” His anger was furious, and he grabbed the young man by the collar of his cloak and shirt, lifting him up off the ground. 

He could have killed him. Could have teleported into space. Snapped his neck. Could have torn his damn head off his body. And he wanted to. Setsuna deeply wanted to. 

_It wouldn’t solve anything. It wouldn’t solve a damn thing._

He had to repeat that to himself, slowly lowering Lelouch back to his feet, but it was clear that it was not because he was feeling merciful or kind. The young man rubbed the growing welt on his cheek, needing several seconds to gather his train of thought once more. Setsuna floated out of arm’s reach, his arms folded and his eyes narrowed bitterly. Electronics still flickered occasionally, the overhead lights flashing once or twice before settling. 

He was letting Lelouch make the next move, and it had better be a good one.

Lelouch seemed to be very aware that he was in a poor position. In such a close space, there was no real way to just speed-chess his way out of it. There was no way to get out, he had to just lay his cards out. 

“Y-yes, well… I’ll get to the point.” He said, steadying himself and moving out of immediate reach. 

It would not help him. 

“I, and the Black Knights, have been working to push back, to usurp Britannia. Kill my father, take the throne, unite the world, if I were to speak so simply. And you are an important part in this plan, now that the world knows you exist.” Lelouch went on, watching Setsuna very carefully. 

It was not hard to see the contempt in the shiny demigod’s face. There was nothing he would like more than to just abandon them all. Leave humanity to rot. 

_But you would hate yourself._

“What are you expecting me to do for you?” Setsuna was not going to waste time. 

“Take control of everything. Every one of Britannia’s systems. Every bit of their war machine.” 

Setsuna frowned. 

“Integration doesn’t work that way. I’m not seizing control of the machines like some hacker. It’s communication, it’s talk, it’s listening. If anything in that system doesn’t want to talk, then it’s over.” He folded his arms. 

“You don’t even believe that yourself.” Lelouch pushed, watching as the silver man flinched. “You know you can take them all if you really wanted. I’ve read enough information, seen enough of you in combat. You scream for help and machines run to your aid. You could take the entire world if you wanted.” 

Setsuna tensed, his eyes narrowing. 

“And I know you want to this time.” 

A second punch was thrown, harder than the first. Lelouch was sent crashing against the wall, and Setsuna pressed hard against his chest with one hand, keeping him there with his fist raised and ready to go. The anger in him was real, and he couldn’t say that this stupid young man didn’t deserve the beating he so dearly wanted to give him. 

The silence, tense and terrible, passed between them for several seconds before Setsuna finally let him go. 

“Make no mistake, I am not helping you because you need another pawn. My goal is the eradication of conflict, and peace through understanding. If I have to kill you when this is said and done to achieve that goal, I will.” 

His voice was cold, and for once in a long time, Lelouch felt a very real fear grip his heart. A terrible sort of paralyzing emotion. 

Setsuna stepped forwards, looming over the young man. 

“This alliance is temporary, nothing more. You would be very, very wise to remember that.” 

With that, he vanished. Away from the Black Knights. Away from that sense of safety and peace. 

There was someone he needed to talk to.


	24. Euphemia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Setsuna seeks the wisdom of someone he has come to call a friend.

The clouds slowly drifted by, finally revealing the moon.

Euphemia stared out at the sky, a heaviness in her heart. Suzaku was… well, she was proud of him, she couldn’t deny that. She was proud. Knight of Seven. He wouldn’t tell her exactly what he had done to earn it, and she rapidly realized it was something she probably didn’t want to discuss. And Setsuna… she hadn’t heard from him for so long. With Schneizel’s death, the family was in some sort of scrambled state between heirs. 

She had renounced her claim, but if no one was going to be able to step up should something happen to her father, she would certainly not lay that burden on Nunnally. 

It was hard not to think about, really. 

The restoration was going well, at least. Repairs had been completed. Lives were being picked up and they had recovered. The people were slowly going back to a life that they should have had in the first place. 

Something flashed in the sky, a silver streak, and she felt her chest tighten.

“Setsuna…” She murmured, moving to open one of the windows. If it was him, she needed to be welcoming. 

And sure enough, there he was.

She knew he didn’t like being called an angel, but the way he seemed to just fly with the moonlight illuminating him, it definitely did seem like he was really divine. He came to a stop at her open window, and Euphemia could see the weariness in his eyes. 

“Princess Euphemia, I’m sorry it’s so late, but… can we talk for a little bit?” Setsuna asked, and the tiredness in his voice was crushing. 

She smiled.

“Come in, rest for a little bit.” 

She stepped back, giving him space to float in and touch down. He ran his fingers through, he wanted to say so many things, and he didn’t know where to start. Euphemia took his hand, leading him over to the bed and sitting next to him. 

“Talk to me, tell me everything.” She said softly. 

Setsuna looked down, a thousand thoughts running through his head. Start somewhere. Start with one, and go. 

“I told myself, after the massacre, that I would not be used again. And I failed.” 

She held his hand, and let him speak. 

“Your brother… Schneizel, he was planning to open the hangar I stored the machines from my time, to steal the technology and hold the world hostage. To force world peace. He manipulated me into revealing the location, and when I refused to play nice, he threatened Suzaku.” 

Setsuna wouldn’t look at her. His hands were shaking. Trembling now and then with the anxiety of admitting to someone that he killed their family. He didn’t like doing it, and he never enjoyed such a thing. It felt worse now. Like he was confessing to Marina that killed his parents. And children. That he had failed, and he was repeatedly failing. 

“I tried to stop him. To plead. Beg. He refused, and I had no choice. I was forced to use a machine that I swore to never release… and I killed him.” 

Euphemia gasped softly, and she felt Setsuna flinch. He still couldn’t look at her. 

“I barely remember after that, just waking up and confronting Zero. The Black Knights are being lead by your brother.” 

This time she did not flinch, and her insides twisted. Her family was so terribly embroiled in this sort of mess. Entangled in themselves, fighting each other and trying to tear the world apart to be their own sort of rulers. She had tried for so long to stay out of it. To keep focus only on this goal of restoration, of making the world better. Nicer. She refused to march to war like so many others. 

But Setsuna was. For them. To sort it out and try...

Euphemia reached over, pulling Setsuna against her shoulder. She just let him talk, running her hands through his hair. 

“Setsuna...” She murmured softly. He still couldn’t look at her after all he had done. 

But he listened. 

“I know you have done horrible, terrible things out of necessity. Things you’ve done to yourself, things you’ve done to the world. Right now, whatever your reasons are, I know you still have that one goal in mind. Peace through understanding. I hear it in your voice, and the burden you are carrying is one that most people can’t even begin to describe.” 

Setsuna felt hot tears prick at the corners of his eyes. He shuddered. She wasn’t Marina, he knew it. She couldn’t be. But so much of her words, her softness, every ounce of wisdom in her was so familiar. 

It was a comfort, a safety and peace that he had only found in the stars. 

“But… I feel that you know what needs to be done, and what you should do.” She said softly, wiping the tears off his face. “No matter how this ends, know that I believe you truly do have the best interests of the world at heart.” 

They had enough heartache. Enough pain. 

“Do what you must, Setsuna. The world will forgive you in time.”


	25. Daybreak's Bell

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After all... it's come to this.

He didn’t like this. 

Setsuna didn’t have anyone to complain to, just poised above the clouds over Pendragon. He knew they were going to move. Lelouch and his plan… 

The days had flowed into weeks of operation after operation, and Setsuna had stayed out of it. He refused to be used like that sort of weapon. He would see this through to the end, and then… well he didn’t know what he would do then. It was just a matter of waiting. 

He listened, and in the machines he heard it. 

Taking a breath, Setsuna closed his eyes. 

His mind reached out, his voice crossed thousands of others. Machines to obey. To listen to him. Systems to ignore the Black Knights. Allow them in, allow them through… Let them past the lines. The armies were stopped dead. Whatever operation, whatever great task was being undertaken, Setsuna knew none of it. All that filled his mind over the course of days were voices of machines, of so many speaking to him and his mind forever unquiet. There was no rest, his control spreading across the land, to the edge of the seas. 

And it was days.

Days of conflict. Days of tearing one another apart. Alliances forged and broken. Reunification, it seemed. Suzaku, Lelouch… Setsuna listened to them, speaking to one another, a Knight to a friend, for they had still been friends. And he listened… 

_Who are you?_

Someone said to him. It was not a machine. 

_You are him, aren’t you?_

A flaw. A listener. Someone who knew he was in their systems. 

_I knew it._

Setsuna felt something trickle down his face, and he dared not open his eyes and break his concentration. He pushed, gripping every bit of control he could get. Everything needed to be safe. Everything needed to be in control. Everything had to stay, so Lelouch could…

...what was…

_I see you._

Setsuna opened his eyes, and he was sure he was not in the skies. He stood before some great doorway, and a red glow slowly eased through it. It was… was it some machine? Was the Emperor hiding something greater that he did not know, and did not understand? Whatever this was, it was speaking to him. 

_And now you see me._

“What are you?”

He wasn’t sure who he was talking to, and the connection he held was starting to make his head throb. Copper touched his lips, and he wiped his nose, smearing blood over his hand and face. He was holding the connection. He had to. 

_I am Ragnarok, and I will not be used by you._

Setsuna’s eyes snapped open again, coughing and gasping as he fell through the skies. His body wasn’t moving. He couldn’t move. He fell. Through the clouds. He saw drops of red fall away from him, bleeding from his nose, eyes, and ears. Whatever Ragnarok was, it had a hold on him, a tight, impenetrable grip. He couldn’t free himself, and he couldn’t yell. A single pulse went out across the entire network, ignored by so many as the armies were turned. 

**Help me.**

Silence. 

Silence.

Something caught him. 

His fall was halted, something snatched him out of the sky, and his body still refused to move, but he could see his savior clear as day. 

The Galahad. 

Bismarck… Bismarck was in the capital, and Bismarck had… 

_I won’t let you go._

Pain shot through him, blinding him as his body seized. He couldn’t keep the connection. He couldn’t free himself. Whatever the Black Knights were doing, they were on their own. He didn’t know what Ragnarok was, but he could feel it, he could hear it. The seizure itself was brief, passing in seconds, but Setsuna could not move. He could not see. If someone was trying to speak to him, he could barely hear. The pain was devastating, like something was tearing through his body trying to find his heart. He couldn’t scream and he couldn’t warn anyone. All he knew was agony, such intense pain that the world around him may as well not have existed. 

The Galahad landed, and the Innovator was catatonic. His eyes were wide and empty, no longer glowing with the thousands of connections. Blood was still seeping from his face, splattered across his clothes and some of the Knightmare’s plating. He didn’t look like a real being. 

_You are no divine being, and I have you. I will have you. I am Ragnarok, and I will destroy the gods._

He couldn’t scream. He couldn’t yell for help. The Ragnarok Connection had him. This twisted sort of machinery to complete the Emperor’s plan of ultimate unification. Setsuna claimed for centuries he was no god, but Ragnarok proved otherwise. 

“Get a hose, water, anything. Spray him down if you have to, I don’t care, just get him into some water.” Bismarck ordered, carefully extracting the near-comatose Setsuna from his frame. 

The Knight couldn’t explain it, and would not be able to figure out. The Galahad had activated, the same way those machines in Setsuna’s hidden hangar had lit up. His Knightmare responded, and Bismarck had followed its lead. To find Setsuna falling from the sky… Realistically, he knew he needed to report to his Emperor, to inform Charles that they had apprehended him once more. Setsuna had a role in this world, maybe something greater than this plan. 

_Surrender._

Blood gushed over his lips as he seized again, crimson splattering over Bismarck’s uniform. 

_The plan will succeed, and you will be bowing to the Emperor like everyone else. No gods, no war, no interlopers._

His body hit water, and he was barely aware of it. It wouldn’t last. He needed strength, the proper power to fight this strange connection. Whatever this was, whatever the Emperor would do, he needed to push back against it. 

The world around him vanished. 

There was nothing but the blackness. 

Around him, soldiers mobilized. Protect the Emperor, the Black Knights had come. Protect the Emperor…

Protect the Emperor. 

_Initializing the plan._

“N…”

Lelouch was making his move, and the Knights were answering in kind. The clock was ticking down. Setsuna was sinking deeper and deeper into the depths, whatever it was. He needed something powerful, something equally powerful to stop Ragnarok. 

In the distance, a blue and white machine sped across the sky. 

He couldn’t focus. He couldn’t hear the real world around him. His mind was grappling with this Ragnarok, trying to resist being consumed in whatever Charles’ madness was becoming. There was something he could feel, pushing slowly through this darkness. Through the monstrous sort of weight on his chest. He felt it tearing in from all sides, something digging deep into him and trying to undo him. 

And yet something pushed through. A familiarity. A strength. 

“All units, ignore that machine! Let it pass!”

A white and blue machine landed, and grabbed up the silver ragdoll. She shoved him into the cockpit, rising high into the air. Above the fire, the conflict. 

_She cannot save you, you are mine!_

His hands slowly curled around the controls. He could feel her. He could feel the strength of this machine, the one who had brought peace to the world before. And while humanity fought below, while Lelouch dug deep into the depths to undo his father and mother, to destroy them, Setsuna rose above them all, great and divine. 

“...t… Tr…”

_The gods will continue, but you will not! You cannot undo this!_

“Tr.. Trans Am…!” 

The words left his mouth, and a great green and glimmering glow burst forth from the 00 Raiser. A great expansion of particles, of shining light that spread out from the machine.Over the palace. The country. Over the world in an instant. The entirety of the world was engulfed in the same brilliant green glow for several seconds. 

And in those seconds, humanity was united. 

In those seconds, Emperor Charles zi Britannia was erased and unmade. 

In those seconds, Setsuna opened his eyes. 

He heard them all. Thoughts, hopes, wishes and fears. He understood them greater and more brilliant than ever before. Greater than the Ragnarok Connection. Greater than Charles’ plan. In that moment, everyone understood. Every human was a peace in those few seconds. 

Setsuna took a deep breath, managing to land the 00 Raiser. He was weak. He was shaking, crews of soldiers rushing to attend to him. Bismarck’s orders. 

He couldn’t stand, could barely breathe. 

The world had achieved peace, even for a moment.

For now, that was enough.


	26. Epilogue: Endgame Standing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now you shall rest.

In the days that followed, Setsuna had tried to stay out of human affairs. 

Lelouch had seized power, declaring himself Emperor, and was moving to unite humanity under his plan. One of hatred, it seemed. 

Setsuna watched, each move the young man was making only seemed to destroy those seconds of understanding that he had worked to create, that he had wounded himself over. He watched yet another news report, sitting back with a cup of tea. Euphemia had given him comfort, and Bismarck and many other knights had in turn decided to see this plan through, to see where any further intervention by Setsuna would be necessary. 

He didn’t enjoy it, but he was watching, and he was waiting. 

“You have that look in your eyes, Setsuna.” 

He glanced up, seeing Bismarck join him. 

“I feel like this is over. It's finished, and perhaps not in the best way.” Setsuna replied, setting the cup down. 

“Hm.” The man nodded in response, there wasn’t much they needed to say. 

Setsuna stood up, running his fingers through his hair. 

“Setsuna, whatever you choose to do, I hope it is the last thing you feel you need to do for us.” 

He smiled softly, his feet leaving the ground. He had a feeling this would be the last time he saw people for a long time, at least in some official capacity. 

“Farewell, friend.” There was nothing else to say, and Setsuna vanished into the afternoon sky. 

Setsuna closed the hangar behind him, the lights flickering on as he made his way back into where he had began. He thought about cycling the tube and going to sleep for another few thousand years, but he ultimately decided against it. 

Sitting back, he slowly propped his feet up on the console while a news feed of Euphemia’s upcoming coronation played on one of the monitors. He closed his eyes, resting his head against the back of the chair. 

For the first time in a long time, Setsuna let himself rest.


End file.
